Peace Council, Catholic Diocese condemn military brutalities in Garu

The Upper East Regional Peace Council and the Catholic Diocese of Navrongo-Bolgatanga have condemned the alleged military attack on civilians in Garu, on Sunday, October 29, 2023.

“The Upper East Regional Peace Council and the Catholic Diocese of Navrongo-Bolgatanga view with grave concern the recent happenings in Garu involving the military and the indigenes of Garu and condemn in no uncertain terms the brutalities meted out to civilians in the area.

“We stand in solidarity with all those who have suffered from these brutalities”.

This was in a statement jointly signed and copied to the Ghana News Agency in the Bolgatanga by Alhaji Sumaila Issaka, the Chairman of the Regional Peace Council and Most Reverend Alfred Agyenta, the Bishop of the Diocese.

The statement said the two institutions over the past years had taken lessons from happenings in the Sahel Region and undertook lots of work to build community cohesion and trust interface among residents and security agencies along border communities including Garu and Tempane to counter activities of violent extremism.

It said the activities and campaigns had been anchored on the Ministry of National Security awareness campaign slogan “see something say something” launched in 2022.

“We were, therefore, extremely surprised to receive information from Garu in the past few days about the horrible incidents in that area, which have given cause for us to express our grave concerns.

“We received reports of brutalities meted out by the military to some of the youth of the area, resulting in several casualties on the dawn of Sunday, 29th October, 2023,” it said.

The statement expressed concern that the situation had created fear and panic among people in the area and when the situation was not resolved well could hamper the needed cooperation between the residents and the security personnel in countering violent extremism that was knocking on country's border.

“In the light of the lack of clarity on what actually happened, we call on the Government to initiate an independent investigation into the incidents involving the National Intelligence personnel and the youth of Garu, on the one hand, and the military and the youth on the other.

“We also call on Government, to take the necessary steps to ensure that those who were injured in the incidents receive the needed medical attention and to guarantee the safety of those who have been arrested”, it demanded.

The statement stressed the need for the Ministry of National Security and the Ghana Armed Forces to ensure that their approach to restore security and peace had more professional touch

and not the use of brutal force, so that in the course of their work the dignity of the human person would always be respected.

“We, the Upper East Regional Peace Council and the Catholic Diocese of Navrongo-Bolgatanga jointly call on the people of Garu and its environs to be the law-abiding citizens as known to the best of our knowledge and to respect the state security apparatus that had been put in place to protect everybody.

“We also call on Civil Society and all peace actors to be active citizens and not mere spectators in matters that affect the safety and security of all of us, especially those of us in the Upper Region.

As Peace loving people, we need more collective and collaborative efforts from all concerned to restore security and peace in Bawku and its Environs rather than singular efforts.

“We pray that God grants the victims and their families as well as all those affected by these recent tragic incidents healing and inner peace”. It added.

GNA