Bawku Needs Reconciliation, Not Just Military Presence – Miracles Aboagye Urges National Shift

Dennis Miracles Aboagye, aide to former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, is calling for a change in the national approach to resolving the ongoing conflict in Bawku, emphasizing that military intervention alone cannot bring lasting peace.

Speaking on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Wednesday, July 30, Aboagye argued that the crisis has moved beyond its traditional chieftaincy dispute and now demands social healing, community dialogue, and professional intervention.

“Solving the chieftaincy issue won’t be enough,” he said. “Many residents are emotionally and physically scarred. We need a comprehensive social reorientation, led by professionals, to truly address the underlying issues.”

He criticized the current security strategy—which relies heavily on military deployments—as a short-term fix that fails to confront the trauma and divisions within the community.

“People behave when the soldiers are around, but the violence resumes once the military backs off. Soldiers can’t stay there forever. What Bawku really needs is reconciliation, therapy, and a national effort to help the community heal,” he emphasized.

His comments follow a renewed outbreak of violence, including the recent killing of Hakim Kundima, a final-year student at Bawku SHS. Reports indicate that the student was pulled from his dormitory and shot by unidentified attackers on Saturday, July 26. The incident led to the closure of the school and the imposition of a curfew.

Meanwhile, a large military convoy was seen moving along the Tamale–Bolgatanga highway on Monday, July 28, en route to the Upper East Region. According to Citi News sources, the deployment is part of a wider military exercise aimed at boosting internal security and counter-insurgency preparedness across key areas, including Bawku, Sandema, Tilli, and Pusiga/Polmakom.