5-month-old baby tragically murdered in Bawku amid escalating conflict

A five-month-old baby has been tragically murdered in Bawku in the Upper East Region as the conflict in the area continues to intensify.

Reports indicate that the child’s mother was ambushed and brutally attacked by unknown assailants while she was out trading. In the gruesome assault, the attackers violently threw the infant to the ground, leading to the child’s tragic death.

This heartbreaking incident adds to the rising number of casualties in the ongoing Bawku conflict and along the Bolgatanga-Tamale highway. The recent violence has now brought the death toll to 55 since hostilities flared up again in October 2024.

Despite increased efforts by security forces to curb the violence and protect both residents and commuters, armed groups continue to carry out deadly attacks, heightening fear and uncertainty in the region. Many families have been displaced, and economic activities have been severely disrupted as a result of the unrest.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah has reiterated the government’s commitment to resolving the long-standing conflict in Bawku.

Following a high-level meeting with Interior Minister Muntaka Mubarak, the Chief of the Defence Staff, Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga, and other Members of Parliament at the Ministry of Defence on Wednesday, 12 February, Mr Boamah assured the public of the government's determination to restore peace.

In a Facebook post, he stated:

As President John Dramani Mahama has assured the people, we will continue to follow the comprehensive roadmap to resolve this conflict through traditional means.

We must restore peace and stability to Bawku and other affected communities, and I am determined to support that cause.

Residents remain hopeful that the government’s intervention will bring an end to the violence, as many families continue to live in fear for their lives.

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