The National Security Minister, Albert Kan Dapaah, has condemned the attack on residents of Garu and Tempane in the Upper East Region by some military officers.
The attack, which left one person dead and over 50 individuals hospitalized, was reportedly in reaction to an alleged attack on national security officers by the residents of Garu.
Briefing Parliament on the issue, Mr Kan Dapaah said the reported excesses of the military are currently before the court.
“The house will agree that the attack on the national security personnel and also the Garu Police Station was reprehensible and must be condemned in no uncertain terms,” he said. “In many other jurisdictions such attacks on security personnel in the course of their legitimate duties will be classified as an attack on the state.”
Mr. Kan Dapaah further reiterated that on Saturday, October 28, 2023, the Ministry of National Security and the Ghana Armed Forces conducted a joint operation in Garu to seize weapons used by the irate youth groups to attack the National Security personnel.
“Mr Speaker, in the aftermath of the joint operation, reports have emerged in respect of some excesses by the personnel who conducted the operation,” he said. “Mr Speaker this aspect of the matter is currently before court, it will therefore be inappropriate for me to comment on the matter as it would amount to contempt of court. That said, however, I would like to urge honourable members of the house to please exercise retrospection in discussing the matter for some three reasons.”
“First because of the dire security situation we are confronted with in Bawku as a result of the existing ethnic conflict in that area,” he explained. “Second because of the counter-terrorism operations going on the area. And third because of the need not to demotivate and demoralise our state security personnel.”