Concerns Raised Over Silence of Ghanaian Government on Tragic Incidents
The Bissa Development Association (BDA) is calling for justice following the reported killing of seven Ghanaians in Burkina Faso. The victims, hailing from the Bawku belt in the Upper East Region, were allegedly arrested and executed by Burkinabe security forces on suspicion of having ties to Jihadist groups.
The series of incidents began around 10th October 2023, involving individuals from Mognori Central, including Lukuman Karim and Bashiru Nuhu, who were apprehended and executed by Burkinabe security forces based on suspicions of trading links with Jihadist groups.
Alhaji Abdul Malik Bansi, representing the BDA, disclosed these incidents during a press conference held in Bawku. He detailed a second incident where two nomadic herdsmen, originally Burkinabe citizens living in Baribari within the Bissa belt in Bawku, were arrested and executed in Burkina Faso on suspicion of being informants to Jihadist groups.
A subsequent group of six individuals, including five cattle owners and Mahmudu Bani, the father of the executed herdsmen, crossed the border to Burkina Faso to identify and retrieve their missing cattle. Shockingly, they were allegedly arrested and summarily executed by Burkinabe security forces.
Expressing deep concern, the BDA criticized the lack of investigation into the innocence of the Ghanaians who were seeking to recover their missing cattle. The association highlighted the silence of the Ghanaian government on the matter, which has led some families to perform funerals in the absence of hope.
“While we appreciate the Burkinabe government's effort to combat terrorism on its territory, we cannot accept the alleged summary execution of our brothers who cross into Burkina Faso for one reason or the other. The BDA further condemns the deafening silence by the government of Ghana in addressing the reports of the missing 7,” the group declared.
The Bissa people, primarily located in West Africa, including significant populations in Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Togo, are urging the Ghanaian government to thoroughly investigate the incidents and bring the perpetrators to justice. The alleged extrajudicial killings have caused three months of trauma, grief, and extreme pain for the families and loved ones of the missing persons.