Prof. Aning Blasts Bawku Curfew Strategy Amid Rising Student Deaths

Security Consultant Prof. Kwesi Aning has taken aim at the government’s continued reliance on curfews to address the decades-long Bawku conflict, describing the approach as lazy and ineffective.

“Curfews are an extremely lazy act-of-emergency approach to deal with the crisis here,” Prof. Aning asserted during an interview on JoyNews’ AM Show on Monday, July 28. He questioned why the same methods are still being used despite consistent failures to bring peace to the area.

“My argument is that we’ve dealt with this problem for a very long time, and we seem to be using the same methodology in seeking to resolve it,” he said. “It surprises me that we think we can use the same methodology and see a different response.”

His criticism comes as tensions escalate in Bawku and nearby Nalerigu, following a string of killings believed to be linked to the long-standing chieftaincy feud. The government responded by announcing a fresh curfew from 2:00 pm to 6:00 am daily in affected communities, starting Sunday, July 27, 2025. However, no end date was specified.

In a statement from the Ministry of the Interior, the government justified the move as part of broader efforts to curb violence. But Prof. Aning says more is needed than just curfews.

“We need a much better multi-dimensional aggregation of the interest groups,” he stated. “I doubt if we have done a solid disaggregation of the multiple interest groups: what their strengths are, where they get their money from, their weaponry, the interlocking nature of their relationships…”

“The strength of these groups, economically and politically, is giving them the authority to now think they can challenge the Republic of Ghana,” he warned.

The renewed unrest follows the murder of a Kusasi chief in Kumasi, believed to have ignited a wave of reprisal attacks. Two more people were reportedly killed in Kumasi as tensions spread.

Tragically, the violence reached school campuses. On Saturday night, a Bawku Senior High School student was allegedly dragged from his dormitory and shot dead by unidentified gunmen who scaled the school’s fence. The victim, reportedly of Mossi descent, is believed to have been mistaken for a factional affiliate.

In a retaliatory attack, two students from Nalerigu Senior High School were also shot and killed. The violence later extended to political property, as the residence of Bawku MP and Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga was vandalized and torched the same night.