17 Heavily Armed Burkinabè Soldiers Arrested in Upper West Region
- 17 Burkinabè soldiers have reportedly been arrested for establishing a combat position in Ghana's Upper West Region
- Locals in the Sissala East District alerted authorities after spotting armed soldiers near the border community of Wuru
- Residents have been voicing concerns over increased sightings of armed men, which has affected the local economy
Security forces in the Sissala East District of the Upper West Region have detained 17 heavily armed Burkinabè soldiers.
The soldiers, aged between 20 and 30, were reportedly found on January 1 in possession of firearms and explosive devices.
Source: Getty Images
Joy News reported that the soldiers were reportedly arrested near the border community of Wuru, which is about a one-hour drive east of Tumu.
According to the publication, the Ghana Immigration Service said the armed men were in the process of setting up a combat position using sandbags when residents spotted them and raised the alarm.
The men claimed they had gotten lost while on patrol.
Their weapons were released the following day after a delegation led by staff of the Ghanaian Embassy in Burkina Faso visited.
The Wuru community lies within the Nazinga Forest range.
Between 2022 and 2023, residents reported frequent sightings and movements of armed men suspected to be terrorists within farmlands inside the forest.
Residents complained that these activities had negatively affected farming, hunting, and other economic activities in the area.
Minister raises concerns about jihadists in Bawku
In the past, a former Upper East Regional minister had also raised concerns about the suspected activities of jihadist movements in Bawku.
According to Stephen Yakubu, the jihadist activities in the area are a reason for the recurring conflict, which has intensified in the last few months.
The West Africa Centre for Counter-Extremism report indicated that Ghana risks terrorist attacks due to existing triggers that have remained unresolved for many years.
Experts warned that Islamist extremists fighting in neighbouring Burkina Faso and Togo could take advantage of this volatile situation in the country.
Burkina Faso's diplomatic incident with Nigeria
Meanwhile, on December 8, 2025, Burkina Faso detained a Nigerian Air Force crew after entering its airspace without clearance.
The Guardian reported that the crew was released on December 18 after a high-level diplomatic intervention by the Federal Government, with the Nigerian delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar.
On December 20, 2025, Ghana received the Nigerian aircraft and its crew after it was released.
Source: Twitter
President John Mahama’s Special Envoy to the Sahel, Colonel Larry Gbevlo Lartey, was at the arrival of the crew that was detained on December 8 for entering Burkina Faso’s airspace without clearance.
The plane was heading to Portugal for services. After it was released, it spent a brief period in Ghana for essential technical checks.
US places travel ban on Burkina Faso
YEN.com.gh reported that US President Donald Trump had expanded some travel bans, barring nationals of five more countries, including Ghana’s neighbour, Burkina Faso.
Washington, DC, stated at the time that the restrictions were intended to protect the security of the United States, with Ghana, at one point, being in danger of similar restrictions.
Full-entry restrictions were also placed on nationals from Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria, as well as Palestinian Authority passport holders, sparking intense reactions.
Proofreading by Bruce Douglas, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
