Ghana's northern borderlands militarized

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[6]The government of Ghana is rushing hundreds of troops to the northern town of Bawku, where a long-simmering conflict between two ethnic groups over control of the local chieftaincy has exploded into open warfare. The fighting began in December, when members of the Mamprugu [7] people installed a "parallel" chief, refusing to recognize the incumbent from the Kusasi [8] ethnicity. Since then, some 30 local residents have been slain—many civilians killed in ethnically targeted attacks. The town lies just south of the border with violence-torn Burkina Faso, and authorities are concerned that jihadist insurgents will exploit the chaos in the zone to infiltrate into Ghana. Bawku is already swollen with some 6,000 refugees who have fled terror attacks by militants in Burkina Faso. (Photo via Africa Fest GH [9])

ghanamilitia.jpg [10]

The government of Ghana is rushing hundreds of army troops to the northern town of Bawku, where a long-simmering conflict between two ethnic groups over control of the local traditional chieftaincy has exploded into open warfare. The fighting began in December, when members of the Mamprugu [7] people installed a "parallel" chief, refusing to recognize the incumbent chief from the Kusasi [8] ethnicity. Since then, some 30 local residents have been slain—many civilians killed in ethnically targeted attacks.

The town lies just south of the border with violence-torn Burkina Faso, and authorities are concerned that jihadist insurgents will exploit the chaos in the zone to infiltrate into Ghana. Bawku is already swollen with some 6,000 refugees who have fled terror attacks by militants in Burkina Faso. (The Africa Report [11], BBC News Pidgin [12], VOA [13])