Retired security analyst Colonel Festus Aboagye has cautioned that military operations in Bawku and other northern conflict zones must strictly adhere to both national and international legal frameworks.
Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express on Monday, July 28, Col Aboagye said while recent killings including the tragic deaths of students warrant government action, the current response appears reactionary.
“I think we can say that the government is reactionary,” he remarked,
warning that heightened military engagement should not lead to unlawful use of force.
He explained that evolving security dynamics, such as targeted attacks on schoolchildren and ambushes on military convoys, justify tactical adjustments but should remain within lawful boundaries.
“Military convoy coming under attack, the military responding and escalating to the extent where it exceeds its lawful use of force that becomes problematic,” he added.
Three students have been killed in recent days in what are suspected to be ethnically motivated attacks linked to the long-standing Bawku chieftaincy dispute. Two of the victims attended Nalerigu SHS in the North East Region, while the third was a final-year student of Bawku SHS in the Upper East Region.
The killings have provoked public outrage, prompting increased military deployment and stricter curfews in affected areas.
While backing firm measures to restore order, Col Aboagye cautioned against describing the operation as peacekeeping, stressing that the term does not apply to domestic conflicts.
“The term peacekeeping is not a global application to all conflicts. Bawku is an inter-ethnic conflict in a democracy,” he said.
Instead, he urged the government to define the legal basis for troop deployment:
“The state now needs to find room for the armed forces to deploy—one within the laws of the country and two, subject to international law.”
Col Aboagye concluded that the Bawku crisis falls under internal security, requiring careful, law-based intervention rather than conventional force doctrines.
Source: TheDotNews