The Upper East Regional Peace Council and the Catholic Diocese of Navrongo-Bolgatanga have appealed to the government to initiate an independent investigation into the alleged assault on residents of Garu.
Over 50 people were hospitalized after some military personnel allegedly unleashed mayhem on the Garu residents over the weekend.
It is alleged that the military attack was in retaliation for an assault on some National Security operatives by a vigilante group in Garu.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Upper East Regional Peace Council and the Catholic Diocese of Navrongo-Bolgatanga noted that “in light of the lack of clarity on what happened, we call on the Government to initiate an independent investigation into the incidents involving the National Intelligence personnel and the youth of Garu, on the one hand, and the military and the youth on the other.”
“We also call on the government, as a matter of urgency, to take the necessary steps to ensure that those who were injured in the incidents receive the needed medical attention and to guarantee the safety of those who have been arrested,” they said.
They also entreated the Ministry of National Security and the Ghana Armed Forces to ensure that their approach to restoring security and peace had a more professional touch and did not involve the use of brutal force so that the dignity of the human person was always respected.
“We, the Upper East Regional Peace Council and the Catholic Diocese of Navrongo-Bolgatanga, jointly call on the people of Garu and its environs to be law-abiding citizens as known to the best of our knowledge and to respect the state security apparatus that has been put in place to protect everybody. We also call on Civil Society and all peace actors to be active citizens and not mere spectators in matters that affect the safety and security of all of us, especially those of us in the Upper Region.”
“As peace-loving people, we need more collective and collaborative efforts from all concerned to restore security and peace in Bawku and its environs rather than singular efforts,” they further stated.
