Ghana has deployed soldiers to the troubled town of Bawku, near the Burkina Faso border, after gunmen reportedly killed three students over the weekend.
The attack, which occurred on Saturday, has reignited fears of escalating violence in the northern town—already plagued by a long-standing chieftaincy dispute and the growing threat of instability spilling over from jihadist conflicts in the Sahel region.
Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Ghana’s Communications Minister and presidential spokesperson, announced in a Sunday statement that the government is shifting from a peacekeeping to a peace enforcement strategy in Bawku and other affected areas due to the recent surge in violence.
He confirmed that the victims were students ambushed near a school, according to accounts from local residents. In response, authorities have launched an operation to secure educational facilities and imposed a daily curfew from 2 p.m. to 6 a.m. to aid in the safe evacuation of students.
“The Ghana Armed Forces will take all necessary measures to protect lives and property,” Ofosu stated, urging all parties to avoid violence and support ongoing peace efforts.
The unrest in Bawku stems from a decades-old rivalry over who holds the right to the town’s chieftaincy title, mainly involving the Mamprusi and Kusasi ethnic groups.
In 2023, Ghana deployed an additional 1,000 troops and police officers to Bawku after gunmen fatally shot an immigration officer and injured two others near the Burkina Faso border.
The town’s proximity to Burkina Faso—where Islamist insurgencies have displaced millions—has raised serious cross-border security concerns. In response, Ghana’s military has intensified patrols along its northern border in recent months to prevent the spread of violence from the Sahel.
