Bawku Tensions: Eight Killed After Gunmen Attack Travellers On The Bolgatanga-Tamale Highway

• Eight persons have been reported dead in violence linked to ethnic tension in the Bawku township
• The victims were attacked on the Bolgatanga-Tamale highway near Gbimsi, a community close to Walewale
• The attackers blocked roads and interrogated travellers on their ethnicity amid the tensions in Bawku involving Kusasis and Mamprusis

Eight travellers on the Bolgatanga-Tamale highway were killed after an attack by gunmen near Gbimsi, a community close to Walewale.

The October 27 attack has been linked to long-held ethnic tensions in Bawku involving Kusasis and Mamprusis.

Asaase News reported that 15 persons were killed over the weekend, including an 11-year-old girl.

Citi News reported that the armed men set up roadblocks in both Gbimsi and Walewale, stopping vehicles to identify potential targets.

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Passengers caught in the blockade faced interrogation over their ethnicity. Details about the aggressor's ethnicity, among others, have not been made public.

The Ghana Police Service has assured travellers of increased security presence along the highway in the coming days.

In addition to the police and military deployment in Bawku and its environs, the police said they will be a joint deployment along the Bolgatanga-Walewale-Tamale highway to ensure security and manage vehicular traffic.

The long-standing Bawku conflict has deep roots in the chieftaincy dispute between the Kusasis and Mamprusis, which has led to similar bus attacks in the past.

In January this year, six people were reported dead in a fresh attack in Bawku in the Upper East Region.

The deaths occurred after gunmen opened fire on a bus, which was travelling to a market in nearby Binduri.

Minister fears jihadists may have infiltrated Bawku

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YEN.com.gh reported in a separate story that the Upper East Region minister raised red flags over the activities of suspected jihadist movements in Bawku.

Stephen Yakubu said the jihadist activities are believed to be accounting for the recurring conflict, which has intensified in the last few months.

The West Africa Centre for Counter-Extremism report in the past noted that Ghana risks terrorist attacks due to existing triggers that have remained unresolved for many years.

Proofread by Edwina N.K Quarcoo, journalist and copy editor at YEN.com.gh.

Source: YEN.com.gh