GAF remains steadfast in restoring peace in Bawku - Chief of the Army Staff declares

The Chief of the Army Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), Major General Lawrence Kwaku Gbetanu, has said personnel of the GAF and other security agencies remain steadfast in their commitment to restoring peace and security in Bawku in the Upper East Region.

“The GAF and other agencies have been managing the crisis over the years in Bawku, which has persisted between two contending sides and will continue to do so to bring lasting peace to the area for the benefit of the people,” he stressed.
 Visit

Major General Gbetanu said this while interacting with the media when he embarked on an official visit to Bawku last Wednesday, April 23, 2025, to interact with chiefs and military personnel deployed to maintain law and order.

The trip, which was his first official visit outside Accra since his appointment, afforded him the opportunity to pay a courtesy call on the Overlord of Kusaug, Naba Asigri Abugrago Azoka II, and his elders and to assess the security and operational situation firsthand.

As part of the visit, Major General Gbetanu, accompanied by the General Officer Commanding Northern Command, Brigadier General Frank Nartey Tei and the Commander Rear of the 11 Mechanised Infantry Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Kakra Sasu-Antwi, visited an outpost in Kpalore where a military officer was recently killed.

He expressed worry about the escalation of the conflict in the past few months, leading to indiscriminate killings, including security personnel deployed to restore peace, saying, “The GAF condemns all the killings and the cowardly acts in no uncertain terms”.

Tackling hostilities

To tackle the hostilities and address the carnage, he mentioned that the personnel were working tirelessly to enforce the curfew, conduct patrols, protect key installations and prevent further clashes.

While indicating that violence is not the answer, he called on all the parties involved in the conflict to lay down their arms and embrace peaceful means of resolving their differences for their mutual benefit.

“The GAF is committed to its responsibility of protecting lives and properties and will not relent in its efforts to create an environment conducive to peace and security,” Major-General Gbetanu assured.

Caution

The Chief of the Army Staff cautioned those fomenting trouble in Bawku that their days were numbered and that any attack on civilians and military personnel would be considered an act of terrorism.

Such acts, he added, would be met with deliberate full strength and resolve of the military personnel as there would be no haven for those who choose the path of violence, stressing,

“I have directed the personnel to undertake deliberate and targeted searches to retrieve weapons in the possession of the people”.

He appealed to Naba Azoka II to impress on the people, especially the youth, to exercise restraint and join hands with the security agencies to ensure peace, as it was the only way Bawku could regain its lost glory.

Courtesy call

Speaking through the Pusiga Naba, Naba Tambiisi-baaluk-Kunwiak Ibrahim Aguuri I, during a courtesy call on him, Naba Azoka II, commended Major General Gbetanu for the visit to engage key stakeholders towards ensuring peace in Bawku and its environs.

He raised concern about how security personnel escort residents travelling out of the town, saying “We appeal that escorts undertaken are done in a manner that does not deprive other motorists from using the road”.

He said, “Sadly, some residents are knocked down and even die in the process due to the manner the escorts are carried out within the town”, and further lauded the security personnel for their peacekeeping efforts towards restoring peace to Bawku.

In response, Major General Gbetanu assured him that the escort operation would be reviewed and undertaken in a manner that would not endanger the lives of the people.

Writer’s email: gilbert.agbey@graphic.com.gh.