Controversy Unlimited: Self-Inflicted Collateral Damage

When the Ghana Armed Forces found its troops being deployed in Kinshasa by Kofi Nwiah, more as part of his ego-sprucing agenda than for any concern for the deposed Patrice Lumumba, he unknowingly thrust the Defence Forces of the country formally into the realms of reliable partnership as far as the Department of Peacekeeping Operations of the United Nations was concerned. What Kofi Nwiah had failed to realize was that those professional soldiers had taken a cue from the professionalism of their predecessors, especially those who made Africa and for that matter, Ghana proud in the trenches of Arakan and Burma, so much so that the culture of service to humanity, became the de facto poster phrase of Ghana’s soldiers. Thus, when a certain Captain Kojo Tsikata and his friends in operational areas in Zaire as it then was, found themselves interpositioned between the rebellious secessionists of Tshombe and those of Lumumba, never for once did it occur to them that the best way of conferring stability in the conflict zone was to put the nozzles of their weapons in the mouths of a few captured rebels. As a matter of fact, they systematically avoided planting seeds of fear and hatred in their operational areas and thereby told the whole world in no uncertain terms that Ghanaian soldiers, if and when deployed to keep the peace anywhere or mandated to stabilize unstable zones of dispute or conflict, could be expected to display only operational finesse, professionalism and distinction.

Save for the occasional disruption of democratically elected governments when it suits the parochial interests of misguided individuals and sectional entities, the Ghana Armed Forces and by extension, the Police Force of Ghana, has proven to be reliable and trustworthy, so that more often than not, they are indeed a partner for development (the Field Engineers Regiment exemplifies that), a professional non-bribable quasi-state protocol unit (the Communications Wing of the Air Force displays this) and a rescuer of the forcibly displaced (the MV Yogaga of the Ghana Navy has a proud record in that regard). Fame, fortune and dream-actualization has become the lot of those who served within these institutions professionally as exemplified by the distinguished record of the likes of Generals (all Navy, Air Force and Army distinctions herein generically used) Erskine, IGMK Kpetoe, H.K. Anyidoho, Achilles Dumashie, B.K. Akafia, Francis Agyemfra, Sampa Nunoo and Abu Kardo Abdulai among others. If today, droves of young men and women are trooping to the EMS counters at the various post offices across the country to buy application forms as a requirement to gain entry into the Ghana Armed Forces, it is also because stories of heroism displayed by the likes of the late George Ayiku, Squadron Leaders Bannerman and Dwamena abound, clearly demonstrating the “can do” spirit of the Ghanaian in the face of adversarial adversity. Indeed, before Italian instructor Colonel Ansoni ejected from the cockpit of his refurbished MB326 over the skies of Apollonia, the “late” Flight Lieutenant Bob Kojo Lee had shown the effectiveness of a Martin Baker ejection seat when Lance Corporal Halidu Giwa sent some people into hiding in the Achimota Forest on June 19th, 1983. Even though he did the “Ataa Ayi” on Dr. Limann on December 31st 1981, our own Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings not only won the Speed Bird Trophy of the Graduating Class of 1966, but went ahead to be the only one on record to have flown under, yes under the famous Adomi Bridge, and together with the late Squadron Leader Dwamena, shelled INPFL positions in Monrovia in reprisal to Prince Johnson’s audacious shelling of the MV Yogaga which almost took the lives of Dr. Ibn Chambas and General F.A Agyemfra (a shell fell in their cabin, but mysteriously failed to detonate), but cost the Ghana Armed Forces 4 lives (another shell exploded in the Communication room). Pity he was and is not allowed to ‘transfer’ his expertise to the young men of Four Squadron, perhaps because some people think he will convert them into “Rawlingslettes” in Chinese-Pakistani K8 fighter jet trainers.

Image and Outlook

The import of this long and winding recount of details as far as the Ghana Armed Forces is concerned, is to show that the Officers and Men of the institution have what it takes to make Ghana maintain its enviable role both in internal and international affairs, having been imbued with a sense of understanding of the complex nature of conflict and the capacity to deploy the requisite measures of redress at very short notice and under extremes of trying conditions. When General Emmanuel Erskine was sent by the Acheampong Regime to go and “die” in Lebanon, he must have known that his training and comprehension of the nuances within the Confessional politics of Beirut would help him balance the scale in that complex conflict zone; when IGMK Kpeto and a host of others succeeded Erskine, they knew they dared not lower standards, for the set precedent was such that the real Badge of Honour was not what the UNIFIL Commander pinned on their chests after serving their six-month or year-long tenures, but the extent to which they maintained the “Erskine Qualities”. That is why the Ghana Armed Forces found itself at the receiving end when under its watch and at Command Center, a sitting President of Liberia was abducted and humiliated publicly, perhaps because political rather than professional competence propelled someone to a position for which he had no proven record. The day we were told on national television that “I am taking 3000 men to Liberia and would bring 3000 men back”, I knew, even at that relatively young age that we were headed for trouble, little wonder then that whoever made that statement was the first among both Officers and Men to flee Monrovia on the first available Air Force plane, effectively leaving 3000 men behind under the able leadership of the late General George Ayiku, and with that, the loss of Ghana’s position as Force Commander of ECOMOG to Nigeria. Needless to mention, we never regained that position, thanks to the efforts of our “Buffalo Soldier”.

Those who have also taken pains to closely follow the Rwandan bloodbath will not fail to note the heroic exploits of General Anyidoho, who cleverly used that Deputy Commander of UN Troops role to make amends for the CDR colours he so callously displayed and draped over his peps at a party political rally in Kumasi. General Anyidoho it was, who in the absence of Romeo Dallaire of Canada made sure that the Interahamwe were held in check and reasonable agreements reached for the displaced and wounded to be attended to by the few remaining relief agencies in Rwanda. Ghanaian troops at the time did not think it wise to drag Hutu Rebels or Interahamwe in the streets of Kigali simply because they were frustrated and stressed. Even when a serving Colonel, boasted his way to the frontline, only for a teenage soldier to rip his peps off and humiliate him in front of the men, after the Warrant Officer had warned him to take it easy to no avail, Ghanaian soldiers did not flout the UN and Geneva Conventions that govern the conduct of peacekeepers in conflict areas. How then do these same soldiers return to Ghana and in a moment of madness, muddy the fine mesh of dignity, respect and professionalism those years of training at MATS, STAFF COLLEGE and West Point or Sandhurst among others, continuously inculcates in them?

PR Gimmick

What was reported at Bawku first came as a shock to the majority of Ghanaians, not because it was impossible but because of the strenuous lengths that the Military High Command went to pour scorn and disdain over media reports detailing the flagrant and capricious, nay malicious and brazen violation of human rights in the conflict zone. The media was castigated, reprimanded and rebuked for seeking to deceive the public about the true state of affairs in Bawku and its contiguous areas. What those amateurish public relations gimmicks failed to take into account was that the media, like the proverbial blind man, was standing on a huge rock before purveying that information. Now the evidence is all over the world, with the Ghana Armed Forces ranking in equal measure with what a certain Prince Yormie Johnson showed the world of what the late President Doe of Liberia had become prior to his death, thanks again to the antics of the “Buffalo Soldier”. I have always wondered whether the inhumane treatment of real or perceived combatants including a teacher in Bawku was something the new breed of soldiers learned on one of their missions outside Ghana or from the Doe video clip. Is it also not ironic, that the teachers of Ghana have kept a very loud silence on what happened to their colleague in Bawku? If the soldiers of this country treat teachers in such degrading manner especially in areas that teachers are already extremely hesitant to take up appointments in, why would anybody plead with teachers to go to rural areas or conflict zones as the case may be for teaching duties? Have we not already demonstrated that under the guise and excuse of “frustration” or “stress”, human rights or personal safety is relatively irrelevant? True it may be that those paraded in the streets of Bawku, naked in their nakedness to the chagrin of the townsfolk, are indeed combatants or masterminds of shooting sprees as the case may be but if I may as, is that part of the operational instructions given for patrol duties? This “fear and hatred” strategy that was conceptualized by Mary Kaldor of the LSE and which the soldiers of Bawku copiously served the petrified inhabitants of the town, has told the Department of Peacekeeping Operations of the UN, that Ghanaian troops have a new culture: one which openly defies the Code of Conduct that spells out ten rules by which peacekeepers are to operate in such conflict zones. Would anyone be surprised if Ghana is ‘politely’ refused participation in new conflict zones when the need arises as a result of these deplorable actions?

Koti and Abongo Operation

There is also the case of the rape of teenage girls by security agents. Again, the Regional Police Commander feeds the public a very prejudicial position, thinking aloud on radio that he thinks the report is a cock and bull story, only for medical reports to show that the young girls were indeed raped. What made the matter worse was again the attempt to use mediocre public relations antics to convince us that a combined team of military and police personnel on patrol entered a room where a couple were making love and thus out of fright, the woman screamed and ran out, only for rape stories to follow subsequently. So the otherwise professional Assistant Commissioner of Police wants us to believe that the woman, who was probably so ensnared by the throes of passion, suddenly developed a Samsonic unction and broke through the human cordon of gun-wielding heftily-built combined force of six security agents? Is Ghana not an interesting place? Two men in Bawku can be dragged naked in the streets of the town with no resistance, but a woman having sex can ran out of a room, presumably in her nakedness while soldiers and police look on although they are standing in the very doorway that leads to the love nest? Maybe Obuor or A-Plus should compose a song with that one. It really is the joke of the year. By the way where is J.E. Allotey-Pappoe? It is time to conduct PR refresher courses for our security spokespersons. I will lobby Nana Oye Lithur’s partisan “non-partisan” NGO to foot the bill because as for Angwubutuge Awuni’s cobweb cleaning exercise, I am sure when he goes back to listen to the recordings of his own statement, he, like Jesus Christ would ask “my PR my PR, why hast thou deserted me?”

Way Forward

Repairable damage has been done to the image of our security services. It did not start in Bawku nor gain prominence in Nalerigu. It started creeping in long ago when politics was invited to become the underpinning factor driving the Esprit de Corps of the security agencies. The military in particular saw the need to change this and embarked on “open days” that provided a framework for formalized interactions between the military and the civilian populace. Almost all garrisons are opened up annually for civilians to visit designated areas and to have questions answered on issues that remain unclear and are not classified. However, recent events have been eroding and negating the awesome achievements of the security agents. The most worrying until this recent Bawku madness was not the treatment of Issah Molbilla, for we know what happened to Mawuli Goka, thanks to Kwesi Pratt and his now abandoned campaign for redress: it is the forcing of public transport drivers to clean dead bodies at the 37 Military Hospital morgue by soldiers on duty, it is the massacring of civilians right in front of the police station at Agbogbloshi in the full glare of the police and the pathetic unhidden political statements of Rose Bio Atinga, regional police commander of Accra, it is the dare-devil gun firing in Chereponi in open violation of both electoral and security laws and the inability of our security agents to rein in the culprit(s), it is the subtle institutionalization of a culture of cover ups that has re-emerged to desecrate and denigrate the image and hard-won reputation of the security agencies.

Can we reintroduce and enforce the three traditional peacekeeping principles of consent, impartiality and minimum use of force even if Mark Woyongo thinks otherwise? I sincerely believe that would immediately cast the security agents as “honest brokers” in the conflict-ridden enclaves. Is it not possible also, that as trained female soldiers of India have done in Liberia, we could use Ghanaian military and police women in Bawku and other conflict zones, for they are unlikely to rape or drag suspects in the streets by parading their nakedness publicly? Let the ruling government also send the clearest signal yet to both the Ghana Armed Forces and the Ghana Police Service that the swiftness with which a board member of the Forestry Commission has been called to order will be the same level of alacrity with which errant operatives will be dealt with to inspire the waning confidence of the Ghanaian public while telling the world community that the recent occurrences mentioned above while being rare instances, are being decisively and unreservedly dealt with. The President would do us a great service when he adds some of the security chiefs, especially those who seek media presence but only tarnish the image of governance under his watch, to his “reshuffle list” in the coming year. May Jehovah-Metshodhathi be your fortress from those who have activated the image-damaging self-destruct button within the security services.