The radical Nkrumahist movement, the Economic Fighters League has condemned the acts of brutality perpetrated against some residents of Ashaiman in the Greater Accra Region by the military.
Residents of Ashaiman were on Tuesday dawn left in shock when a battalion of military personnel besieged the community to avenge the murder of a 22-year-old soldier in the area.
Some were beaten and a number of them got arrested and are currently held in an unknown location.
Condemning the actions of the military in a statement signed by the Acting Fighter-General of the movement, Namata Serumaga-Musisi, the movement attributed the military’s actions to years of militarisation of the state and unchecked impunity.
“We should not be surprised – we have for a while been witnessing the gradual resurgence of the militarisation of the state, and the rampant impunity with which state actors are able to operate. From the militarisation of Operation Calm Life patrols to the 2020 murder of Eric Ofotsu by soldiers in Ashaiman and the 2021 slaying of youth in the streets of Ejura who were protesting against the murder of Fighter Kaaka in Ejura, the state continues to weaponize its resources against the people instead of serving us. This behaviour must be condemned and resisted everywhere it is seen.”
The Fighters also likened the deployment of the military on missions with the least provocation to the days of military rule.
“We have observed that the arbitrary deployment of armed military forces is reminiscent of the days of military rule, and it raises several questions.”
“We remind the members of the military currently terrorising the people of Ashaiman that the shameful murder of your brother-in-arms and your lack of faith in the ability of the justice system to hold his murderers to account is indicative of the state’s failure to serve you. We join you in calling for justice, but reject your choice to brutalise your brothers and sisters for what a few criminal elements enabled by a rotten system have done,” the group added in the statement.