Bawku conflict: We need operational shift in 72 hours – Prof. Aning warns

Security analyst Professor Emmanuel Kwesi Aning, has issued a stark warning that Ghana must overhaul its security strategy in Bawku within the next 72 hours or risk losing control of the situation entirely.

Speaking in an interview in the wake of intensified violence in the Upper East town, Prof. Aning described Ghana’s current risk assessments in the region as “at best bogus, at worst, utterly distasteful.”

His comments come after the Ghana Police Service issued a wireless message raising the alarm over escalating attacks against its personnel and their families in Bawku and surrounding areas.

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. Christian Tetteh Yohuno, has since banned the movement of officers and their relatives into the area while also directing those already stationed there to wear full protective gear and move only under armored escort.

According to Prof. Aning, the police directive is a tacit admission that the situation in Bawku has spiraled into what amounts to a dramatic escalation of insecurity.

He warned that the recent killing of two uniformed officers in Binduri and reports of an attempted assassination of the IGP are evidence of growing boldness among armed factions.

“In operational calculus, this sends a signal to those who are armed that they are now on an upward ascendancy—that the security forces have been pinched to the wall,” he said. “So we need some dramatic change in our operational tactics within the next 72 hours. Otherwise, I’m afraid we will lose the initiative.”

Prof. Aning also stressed the need for immediate psychological support and reinforcements for officers stationed in Bawku, stating that the state must demonstrate its capacity to “recapture the territory” and restore order.

“The Ghana Police Service recognizes the extreme situation that is in Bawku, and they need to take all the necessary measures first to protect their own. Hopefully, we can beef up the response and show that the state still holds authority there,” he added.