 has revealed a possible link between the recent surge in deadly shootings in Kumasi and the protracted ethnic conflict in Bawku, raising national security concerns over the conflict’s spillover into southern Ghana.){kind=link}
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The Ashanti Regional Security Council (REGSEC) has revealed a possible link between the recent surge in deadly shootings in Kumasi and the protracted ethnic conflict in Bawku, raising national security concerns over the conflict’s spillover into southern Ghana.
In the past week, two separate shooting incidents in Kumasi claimed the lives of the Kusasi Chief of the Ashanti Region and another individual at Asawase, as well as a third victim in Dominase. The attacks, carried out by unidentified gunmen on motorbikes, have rattled residents and prompted a swift security response.
Speaking on Luv FM’s Luv in the Morning, Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator, Captain (Rtd) John Jabari, disclosed that intelligence gathered by security operatives points to a possible southern extension of the Bawku conflict, with key individuals believed to be financing factions in the north being targeted.
“The analogy that maybe some of these perpetrators are hitting the South is that they have some big men who have money to fuel this conflict,” Captain Jabari said.
He added that suspects may be targeting individuals of Bawku origin living in the south who are believed to be financially supporting one side of the longstanding conflict.
“They think maybe this man is in the South and has money and is pumping [it] to one of the factions,” he explained.
In response to the attacks, security has been beefed up across Kumasi. Snap checks, increased surveillance, and intensified patrols have been implemented at critical points across the metropolis. Captain Jabari confirmed that four key suspects are currently being pursued in connection with the recent killings.
He also assured the public that the situation has shown signs of improvement over the past 72 hours, thanks to proactive and coordinated measures taken by security agencies.
“There are already enhanced measures in place to track arms proliferation in the region,” he noted, adding that REGSEC is collaborating closely with the Small Arms Commission to curtail the trafficking of illegal weapons and prevent further escalation.
Renowned criminologist Dr. Jones Opoku-Ware praised the current security approach, describing the response as appropriate and timely given the potential for retaliatory violence.
“The collaboration between local security agencies and arms control bodies is a step in the right direction. If these efforts are sustained, they should be able to intercept further attacks,” Dr. Opoku-Ware noted.
The suspected extension of the Bawku conflict to urban centers like Kumasi signals a potentially dangerous trend in Ghana’s internal security landscape. Analysts say the development underscores the urgent need for a national-level dialogue and long-term resolution of the Bawku conflict to prevent further destabilization.