The Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission and Deputy National Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Elikem Kotoko, has appealed to feuding factions in the protracted Bawku conflict to lay down their arms and embrace peace.
His call follows renewed violent clashes in Bawku and surrounding communities, resulting in multiple fatalities, including the killing of students from the Nalerigu and Bawku Senior High Schools.
The escalation has forced the government to revise the curfew in the area and shut down schools, with evacuation plans underway for affected students.
Speaking on Accra-based Channel One TV on Monday, July 28, Kotoko condemned the cycle of reprisal attacks, warning that the consequences affect even those not directly involved in the conflict.
“If we allow these reprisal attacks or retaliations to begin to manifest, it becomes a very complex issue to handle. You are going to bed, and you don’t even know who can come and break in—no matter the security you feel you have, they may come in there,” he said.
He stressed that the impact of the conflict stretches beyond the combatants, affecting health, transportation, and access to basic services for ordinary residents, especially the vulnerable.
“You may think it is fidelity to a certain traditional cause, but you are again denying yourself one thing or the other,” he noted.
The Forestry Commission Deputy CEO also reminded the factions of the broader implications for national stability, especially under the current administration, which is still settling into power.
