Peace Council, Catholic Church condemn military brutality in Garu, call for independent investigation

The Pease Council of Ghana and the Catholic Church have condemned the brutalities meted on residents of Garu, a community in the Upper East Region, by personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces.

In a joint statement issued by the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Navrongo-Bolgatanga, Most Rev Fr Alfred Agyenta and the Upper East Regional Peace Council chairman, Alhaji Sumalla Issaka, the two entities said that it is surprising for the army to say that the people of Garu engaged in any violent act to warrant the brutalities since they are peace-loving people.

They called on the government to as a matter of agency start investigating the incident and bring the soldiers who committed the atrocities to book.

“In the light of the lack of clarity on what actually 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 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," part of the statement reads.

The two bodies also urged the military to be more professional in their attempts to address situations of insecurity.

“Furthermore, we call on the Ministry of National Security and the Ghana Armed Forces to ensure that their approach to restore security and peace has more professional touch and not the use of brutal force, so that in the course of their work the dignity of the human person is 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 the 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," the statement added.

Background:

Recent reports indicated that a group of military personnel conducted a dawn raid in Garu, during which they reportedly assaulted local residents.

The Ghana Armed Forces defended their actions, stating that the military operation was in response to an attack by irate youth on national security operatives in the area.

The Ministry of National Security, in an official statement, refuted the claims by the residents, asserting that the operation was a joint effort to seize weapons following an October 24 attack by a vigilante group in Garu.

However, Albert Alalzuuga Akuka, the Member of Parliament for Garu and Tempane, remains steadfast in refuting the National Security's claims, insisting that the residents were brutalized for no reason.

Read the full statement below:





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