Security analyst, Col Festus Aboagye (Rtd), has called on the government to prioritise investment in intelligence gathering and surveillance technologies as part of efforts to address the protracted conflict in Bawku.
Speaking on The Citi Breakfast Show with Bernard Avle on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, Col Aboagye said the government must deploy both human intelligence operatives and advanced technology to disrupt the activities of individuals fueling the unrest.
“I strongly suggest that the government needs to invest more in intelligence resources to address the Bawku conflict,” he stated.
He argued that peace in Bawku is being consistently undermined by elements he described as “spoilers,” who are determined to perpetuate instability in the region.
“Both the security intelligence operatives and the technologies that the government has must be brought to bear on the Bawku conflict. These elements that we call spoilers will do anything and everything to ensure that the peace is not realised,” he said.
Col Aboagye further asserted that national security agencies are aware of some of the key actors behind the conflict, including financiers and influential figures, and should focus on neutralising their operations.
“We know the warlords, and I believe that National Security knows certain individuals who are behind the Bawku crisis, either as financiers or opinion leaders. You get to target those people using technology and human intelligence to neutralise their platforms,” he explained.
He also warned that in the process of targeting these actors, collateral damage could occur, citing instances where innocent individuals might be mistakenly caught in operations.
“Mind you, in the process, there could be collateral damage — like someone entering a senior high school and abducting two students, who sadly turn out not to be even Kusasi or Mamprusi.”
His comments come in the wake of the Ghana Armed Forces’ announcement of a shift from peacekeeping to peace enforcement operations in the Bawku enclave, following the deployment of an additional 400 troops to the area.
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