Security analyst Emmanuel Kotin says the clash between the police and the military in Accra’s Central Business District on Monday afternoon was a security breach.
The clash began when some military officers in an official military vehicle allegedly chased and attacked a plain-clothes police officer on a motorcycle following an alleged traffic infraction by the police officer.
Reports suggest despite several pleas from the police officer and identifying himself as an Inspector in an attempt to deter the attack, the soldiers continued to beat him.
Mr. Kotin believes it is high time the military focused on its core mission.
“That incident was a very serious security breach. For two security agencies meant to play complementary roles when need be. Despite their clear-cut roles, there is no doubt that the police are in charge of internal security while the military is in charge of external security of the country although the Commander in Chief of the Arm Forces can assign other roles to the military. So, for the military to be involved in internal security lately is a larger problem and a threat to our democracy.”
Background
An eyewitness who spoke to citinewsroom.com stated that despite several pleas by the police officer and also identifying himself as an Inspector, in an attempt to ward off the attack, that did not stop the soldiers from pummelling him.
The police officer is reported to have gone to the Accra Central Police Station to report the incident afterwards.
Some police officers on duty armed themselves and pursued the soldiers arresting one of them in the process.
The soldiers are reported to have called for reinforcement in an attempt to rescue their colleague, but they were stiffly resisted by the police until some senior officers managed to quell the tensions.
The eyewitness added that traders were shocked to see personnel from the country’s topmost security agencies engage in open combat and verbally and physically assault each other.
