Security analyst, Professor Kwesi Aning, has expressed strong reservations over President John Mahama’s recent visit to Bawku, describing it as a premature and ill-advised move that may have worsened tensions in the conflict-ridden area.
Speaking on Morning Starr with Naa Dedei Tettey on Monday, July 28, Prof. Aning argued that presidential intervention in conflict zones should be reserved for moments when hostilities have de-escalated and parties are ready to embrace peace.
“People misled the president [President Mahama] to visit Bawku as his visit outside Accra as His Excellency the President,” he stated. “When there is conflict, the President becomes the last resort. When he speaks or intervened, it means the conflict has matured, the protagonist are ready to come to the table and sign the peace agreement. Those who did the calculus for the President grossly misread the situation, encouraged the president to go to Bawku when the conflict was not ripped enough and we’ve seen that post that visit, the conflict has gotten dramatically worse.”
Prof. Aning urged President Mahama to dismiss the individuals who recommended the visit, suggesting their poor judgment had led to further destabilization.
“So I’m hoping he’ll sack those people who made such suggestions to him.”
His comments follow the government’s recent decision to evacuate students from Bawku, Nalerigu, and surrounding communities in response to renewed violence and the tragic killing of a student.
The situation worsened after the fatal shooting of Mohammed Imoro Hakim Kundimah, a final-year Arts 7 student at Bawku Senior High School, on Saturday, July 26, 2025.
His death reportedly followed the killing of another young man, believed to be of Kusaasi descent, under unclear circumstances.
In response, a 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. curfew has been imposed in the affected areas, effective Sunday, July 27.
The government has also deployed military personnel to restore order and maintain peace.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
