Peace Council, Catholic Diocese condemn military attack on Garu, Tempane

The Upper East Regional Peace Council and the Catholic Diocese of Bolgatanga-Navrongo have condemned the brutal attack meted out by the military against the people of Garu and Tempane.

The attack occurred in the early hours of Sunday, October 29, as a reprisal of an earlier attack by the townspeople on national security personnel deployed to the area on a counterterrorism mission,

According to reports, the townspeople – armed with machetes and AK 47 rifles – had chased the five national security personnel to the police station and besieged them till they were rescued by members of the Ghana Armed Forces.

According to the military, their raid on the towns was to retrieve the weapons and arrest the perpetrators.

But the Upper East Peace Council and the Catholic Diocese of Bolgatanga-Navrongo said the heavy-handedness of the military action threatens to undo years of cooperation between residents and security personnel in countering violent extremism in the area.

“These recent brutalities in Garu by the military have the grave potential of defeating the much-needed collaboration and mutual trust between the security personnel and the citizenry in dealing with the violent extremism that is knocking on our borders,” their joint statement read.

The group has thus called on the government to initiate investigation into the violence and sanction those found culpable, while also assisting those who were injured in the raid and securing the safety of those arrested as well.

“Furthermore, we call on the Ministry of National Security and the Ghana Armed Forces to ensure that their approach to restoring security and peace has a more professional touch and not the use of brutal force so that in the course of their work the dignity of the human person is always respected,” they advised.