Invest in Intelligence to Resolve Bawku Conflict – Festus Aboagye Urges Government

Security analyst Colonel Festus Aboagye (Rtd) has called on the government to strengthen intelligence gathering and surveillance efforts to tackle the ongoing conflict in Bawku.

Col. Aboagye emphasized the need for a combined approach using both human intelligence operatives and advanced technology to disrupt those fueling unrest in the region.

“I strongly suggest the government invest more in intelligence resources to address the Bawku conflict,” he said.

Col. Aboagye explained that peace in Bawku is constantly threatened by “spoilers” intent on maintaining instability. He urged national security agencies to intensify efforts to identify and neutralize key actors behind the violence, including financiers and influential opinion leaders.

“We know the warlords, and National Security is aware of individuals behind the crisis. These people must be targeted using technology and human intelligence to dismantle their operations,” he stated.

However, he cautioned that such operations might result in collateral damage, with innocent people sometimes mistakenly caught up in security efforts. He referenced incidents where students were abducted but turned out not to belong to the ethnic groups involved in the conflict.

Col. Aboagye’s remarks follow the Ghana Armed Forces’ recent announcement that their mission in Bawku will shift from peacekeeping to peace enforcement, alongside the deployment of an additional 400 troops to the troubled area.