Ghana has deployed military troops to the northern town of Bawku after three students were shot dead in a suspected ambush over the weekend — a tragedy that has reignited fears and pushed the government to shift its strategy from peacekeeping to active peace enforcement.
The attack, which occurred near a school on Saturday, has shaken the already fragile community. Locals say the students were deliberately targeted, further deepening the scars of a longstanding chieftaincy conflict that has plagued the region for years.
In response, authorities have intensified security operations in Bawku and neighboring areas. The Ghana Armed Forces have been tasked with protecting lives, especially in and around educational institutions. A strict curfew, running from 2 p.m. to 6 a.m., has also been imposed to aid the safe evacuation of vulnerable residents, particularly students.
Minister of Communication and presidential spokesperson, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, confirmed the shift in approach during a press briefing.
“The government is now moving beyond peacekeeping. Peace enforcement is necessary at this point, especially given the recent spike in violence, which threatens to derail years of conflict-resolution efforts,” he said.
The root of Bawku’s unrest lies in a bitter, decades-long dispute between the Mamprusi and Kusasi ethnic groups over the town’s chieftaincy title. While efforts have been made to broker peace, sporadic violence continues to undermine progress.
However, the latest attack signals a troubling escalation. Not only is Bawku grappling with internal divisions, but its proximity to Burkina Faso — a country battling extremist insurgencies — has raised regional security concerns. Analysts worry that unchecked instability in Bawku could make Ghana vulnerable to cross-border threats from the Sahel.
This isn’t the first time the government has responded with boots on the ground. In 2023, after the killing of an immigration officer near the same border, an additional 1,000 security personnel were deployed to Bawku. Yet, despite repeated interventions, the region remains volatile.
The death of the three students now marks one of the darkest moments in the current phase of the conflict. Families are mourning, schools are in panic mode, and trust in peace is wearing thin.
For many in Bawku, the latest military presence offers a measure of hope, though tempered by grief and uncertainty. As tensions simmer and political leaders call for unity, the question remains: can enforced peace succeed where diplomacy has so far fallen short?