Use of Children in Bawku conflict alarming(D/G, Saturday, March 7, 2009 Page 19)

The Commanding Officer in charge of the Airborne Force in Tamale, Lieutenant-Colonel Isaac Awuah-Mantey, has noted that the war in Bawku has become more disturbing because of the increasing number of children being recruited as combatants.Briefing the Vice President, Mr John Mahama, who is leading a government delegation on a fact- finding mission in Bawku on the peace-keeping operations, Lt.Col. Awauh-Mantey recalled that on March 2, 2009, 20 children of the Mamprusi tribe, aged between eight and 15, ambushed a Kussasi woman near the Bawku Hospital and were about to kill her when she was rescued by the security agencies.Again, he said a certain elderly man of Moshie extraction was caught selling petrol in small sachets at GH¢1.00 each to children who had been mobilised to go and burn down some houses.He described the involvement of children in the conflict as unacceptable and advised those behind it to stop.Pointing to the killing of a Busanga man, one Mohammed Issaka, on March 1, 2009 as the immediate cause of the recent escalation in the violence, the commanding officer said the feuding factions had embarked on retaliatory killings which should be nipped in the bud.He noted that the inclusion of minority tribes in the conflict had widened the horizon of the conflict, and said this must be critically looked at to prevent the spread of the conflict to other parts of the country.Lt. Colonel Awuah-Mantey proposed that some opinion leaders of both factions should be made to commit themselves in writing that they would be held responsible for any breach of security in the municipality.In addition to advocating stiff punishment for perpetrators of crimes to serve as a deterrent to others, Lt. Colonel Awuah-Mantey also called for the sensitisation of the youth, majority of whom are illiterate and gullible.He also called on the government to resource the National Peace Council to constantly meet with the leadership of the feuding factions as well as the youth to find amicable solutions to their differences.The Upper East Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Alhaji Hamidu Mahama, called for the resourcing of the police to facilitate their operations in the area.He said of the 27 Mahindra vehicles dispatched to the area a few months ago, 10 had broken down while half of the remaining 17 had to be taken to Accra almost every week for servicing.He lauded the police administration for releasing three new pick-ups to the region but appealed for more to enable the police to deliver.He said the only armoured personnel carrier and two other light armoured vehicles dispatched to the area have all broken down and are currently parked at the police station, and called for their withdrawal.He appealed to the paramount chief of Bawku, Naba Abugrago Asigri Azoka II, to stay action on plans to encroach on police lands, since the police administration would need the land for future expansion.The Vice President, Mr John Mahama, condemned the use of children in the Bawku conflict and appealed to the conscience of all those engaged in the warfare to desist from it.He also commended the security agencies and encouraged them to do more to restore the peace in the area.“Let us get rid of as many of the weapons that come in as possible so that we can reduce the capacity of the people to commit crime,” he said.The Vice President promised to pass on to the Chief Justice the concerns raised about the unjustifiable bailing of suspects who committed atrocious crimes, including murder and arson, by the courts and the effect it was having on the security situation in the area.He advised the people to desist from taking refuge in political parties to perpetuate crime and cautioned that notwithstanding the political party individuals belonged to, once they were found culpable, they would be held responsible for their actions.“This is the dawn of a new era and people are going to be held responsible for their actions,” he said.Addressing the troops later, the Vice President gave the assurance that the government would solve all the problems of logistics to enable them to perform effectively.The Minister of the Interior, Mr Cletus Avoka, said the government would pass a new legislation that would give the National Peace Council legitimacy and authority to enable them to perform their role.He, however, called for the neutrality of the security agencies in the discharge of their duties.