The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has urged the people of the Upper West Region to remain vigilant following reports of a possible terrorist attack by Burkinabe bandits in the area.
President Akufo-Addo insisted that the security agencies in the region can stop such an attack if residents cooperate with them.
The country’s security agencies have been put on high alert after intelligence that bandits from Burkina may attack Ghana.
Addressing the chiefs and people of Wa to wrap up his two-day tour of the region, President Akufo Addo urged the public to remain vigilant.
“We have a very big enemy at our doorstep, and that is the terrorists who are operating in the Sahel Region, many of whom have found themselves in Burkina Faso, our next-door neighbor. It is only the cooperation of the people and the security agencies that will make it possible for us to prevent them from coming into our country.”
“So I urge you all to continue to work closely with the security agencies to make sure we keep the terrorist menace out of our country.”
President Akufo-Addo had earlier assured residents of border towns of intensified security to ward off the potential threat.
He also announced that the government is moving to establish a permanent military base in Bawku.
According to the President, the selection of Bawku for the base is a result of its proximity to the Ghana-Burkina Faso border.
“[The Bawku Municipality] is an “obvious potential target for murderers and criminals who may want to destabilise and terrorise the lives of the people,” Nana Addo said.
Moves by the government to avert possible terrorist attacks
Following the happenings in Burkina Faso, Ghana’s Interior Minister, Ambrose Dery, has stated that the government is working on securing the country’s borders over reports of potential terrorist attacks in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region, and Tamale in the Northern Region.
Mr. Dery said the borders will remain closed and tightly guarded by the military and police to keep citizens safe.
“We currently have a combined operation of the army, police, and Immigration. We also have the Northern Border Project. We have already closed the borders, but the fact is that most of them are porous, so we are doing a lot to cover all those porous borders. We are not going to open the borders until we are sure it is safe enough to do so.”
The police’s internal memo indicated that the bandits, who are in possession of military-grade weapons, infiltrated the country “at yet to be identified locations in the Northern Regions and are poised to launch the attack any moment from now.”
All regional commanders have been directed to increase patrols to quell the attacks.
In May 2019, hundreds of victims of terrorist attacks in neighbouring Burkina Faso sought refuge in Ghana, according to officials of the Sissala East Municipal Assembly in the Upper West Region.
