Navrongo-Bolgatanga, 09 November, 2023 / 5:45 pm (ACI Africa).
Religious leaders have expressed concern about the recent violence meted by military against civilians in Garu, Upper East Ghana, saying the excesses are likely to slow down peace efforts in the region.
Soldiers allegedly raided Garu on November 29 in what appears to be a reprisal attack following an assault on some national security intelligence officers deployed in the area.
In a statement that was shared with ACI Africa Wednesday, November 8, Bishop Alfred Agyenta of Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese said he views the acts of military brutality in the region with “grave concern” and condemns “in no uncertain terms the brutalities meted out to civilians in the area.”
The statement was co-signed by Bishop Agyenta and Alhaji Sumaila Issaka, Chairman of Ghana’s Upper East Regional Peace Council.
The two religious leaders said that the development in the embattled region, if not handled well, “will hamper the needed cooperation between the residents and the security personnel in countering violent extremism.”