The Minister for the Interior has renewed the curfew in Bawku Municipality and surrounding areas in the Upper East Region following ongoing security concerns. The curfew, effective Monday, February 17, 2025, will run from 8:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m., as announced in a statement signed by Interior Minister Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak.
In addition to the curfew, the government has imposed a complete ban on carrying arms, ammunition, or offensive weapons in Bawku and its surrounding areas. The statement warned that anyone found in possession of such items would face arrest and prosecution. Authorities are urging chiefs, elders, opinion leaders, youth, and residents to maintain calm and use non-violent methods to resolve conflicts in the region.
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This extension follows a series of violent attacks in the area. Since January 25, 2025, four children between the ages of five months and 13 years have been killed, with the first incident occurring when gunmen attacked a 13-year-old boy shepherding cattle. On February 8, 2024, a tragic attack at Tensungo resulted in the deaths of a seven-month-old, a two-year-old, and their mother. Another incident saw a five-month-old child killed in similar circumstances.
The escalating violence in Bawku has contributed to the deaths of at least 58 people since the conflict re-emerged in October 2024. Regular gun battles continue to erupt in the township and along the Bawku-Bolga-Tamale highway, further destabilizing the area.
Meanwhile, on February 15, 2025, the Ministry of Interior imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in Walewale and surrounding communities in the North East Region, following violent attacks and killings along the Bolgatanga-Tamale highway. The curfew, effective from Saturday, February 15, 2025, runs daily from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. in the region.
