Two police officers on a peacekeeping assignment in the conflict-ridden Upper East Region have been brutally gunned down in Binduri, further deepening fears of growing instability in the area.
The attack, allegedly carried out by armed men identified as Kusasi militants, occurred just hours after the killing and burning of a Mamprusi man in the same district.
The slain officers were part of a security team deployed to Binduri and its surrounding areas as part of a broader national strategy to de-escalate tensions tied to the Bawku chieftaincy conflict between the Mamprusi and Kusasi ethnic groups.
The officers were reportedly ambushed while on duty and shot at close range by unidentified assailants.
Security officials have yet to disclose the identities of the officers, citing the need to notify their families and ongoing investigations.
However, initial reports suggest the killings are linked to renewed tribal hostilities, particularly following the murder of a Mamprusi man near Atuba, a suburb of Binduri Central.
That earlier attack, described by locals as chilling, involved the victim being shot, his body and motorcycle set ablaze, and graphic images of the scene circulated across social media platforms.
The assailants reportedly took credit for the act, heightening fears of ethnic reprisals.
These deadly events have occurred against a tense political and social backdrop.
Just 24 hours before the police killings, the Inspector-General of Police, Christian Tetteh Yohuno, had visited Bawku to meet with traditional leaders, including the Bawku Naba, Asigri Abugrago Azoka II.
The visit aimed to calm tempers and foster collaboration between security forces and the local community.
During the meeting, the IGP made a rare public apology to the Kusasi leadership, following complaints from the Kusaug Youth Association alleging misconduct and bias by some officers in the region.
His gesture, though intended as a peace overture, came amid a troubling trend of attacks on security personnel and infrastructure—acts believed to be carried out by armed elements within the Kusasi faction.
Tensions have been further inflamed by the Interior Minister’s decision to lift a long-standing ban on motorbike use in the area.
While the move was welcomed by some locals, security analysts and civil society groups warned it could inadvertently aid armed groups who frequently use motorbikes in hit-and-run attacks.
The latest killings have sparked outrage from the Bawku branch of the Mamprugu Youth Association (MAYA), which has demanded urgent government intervention.
In a statement, MAYA condemned the attacks and called for an immediate redeployment of security forces to the region.
The group also urged authorities to reinstate the motorbike ban and enhance surveillance in volatile zones.
MAYA further called on Binduri’s Member of Parliament, Mahmoud Issifu, to take swift and meaningful action to ensure the safety of his constituents.
They emphasized the need for the government to break its silence and address the spiraling insecurity that has plagued the region for years.
The Bawku conflict, rooted in competing claims to the Bawku chieftaincy between the Mamprusi and Kusasi ethnic groups, has persisted for decades despite numerous peace accords and interventions by successive governments.
Each outbreak of violence leaves behind a trail of devastation—claiming lives, displacing families, and stalling development across the region.
