The Bawku conflict is no longer a distant regional issue—it is now sending shockwaves through the Ashanti Region, where growing insecurity has left communities deeply unsettled.
Hon. Vincent Ekow Assafuah, Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, sounded the alarm over the dangerous spillover of tensions from Bawku into parts of the Middle Belt of Ghana, warning that residents are gripped by fear as violence and unrest creep closer to home.
Hon. Assafuah acknowledged that while some curfews and security measures have been implemented in the north and recently in the Ashanti Region, video footage and reports from residents suggest that enforcement is inconsistent.
He stressed that such lapses in curfew observance are not only undermining peace efforts in Bawku but are also emboldening further instability elsewhere.
“People are living in so much insecurity, and if the government fails to take the proper actions, it will escalate. There are a number of scenarios that we have experienced in the Ashanti region, many of which the media were not even aware of. Many of them, Ghanaians did not even get to know.”
Hon. Vincent Ekow Assafuah
Hon. Assafuah also highlighted a particularly tragic case to illustrate the point—a six-year-old girl whose lifeless body was found inside a parked vehicle at Suame Market, a busy commercial hub just outside his constituency.
The market, situated near Old Tafo, is located in the Suame constituency, home to former Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu.
According to the MP, such incidents stir widespread anxiety, especially in areas already on edge due to broader regional tensions.
Local Violence Linked To Bawku Conflict
Hon. Vincent Ekow Assafuah further pointed to multiple violent occurrences in the Ashanti Region, asserting that many are indirectly linked to the Bawku conflict. Just days prior to his remarks, a man was killed in Asawase, another neighboring constituency.
He noted that when viewed collectively, these incidents paint a grim picture of regional security.
“One Peggy Ayalbasa, who is an aspiring nurse, was also shot dead around Denase, which is very close to the Kwabre North district, while she was travelling to Salaga. Anybody who knows the Ashanti region will tell you that Kwabre North is also very close to the centre of Kumasi.”
Hon. Vincent Ekow Assafuah
According to Assafuah, even the killing of a Kusasi chief in Asawase sent shockwaves across Ashanti communities. The news triggered immediate concern, especially among those familiar with the underlying ethnic dimensions of the Bawku conflict.
These incidents, he argued, are no longer isolated events. Rather, they reveal a dangerous pattern of cross-regional instability.
He explained that the root cause of this growing unrest in Ashanti can be traced to the persistent ethnic clashes in Bawku.
Many individuals involved or affected by the conflict reside in or frequently travel through the Ashanti Region, leading to a dangerous diffusion of tensions.
He indicated that “We were able to get some understanding as to why these things are happening,” noting that the situation is closely tied to the Bawku conflict, which is now beginning to extend its impact into the Ashanti Region.
The MP emphasized that this trend demands immediate and focused government attention. With a significant number of Bawku-origin residents living in the Ashanti Region, unchecked hostilities from the north may provoke retaliatory or reactionary behavior locally, deepening existing tensions.
Fear Grows Amid Security Lapses
Hon. Assafuah described the current mood in Ashanti as one of deep unease. Conversations on the ground reveal that residents feel increasingly unsafe, especially in communities close to recent incidents.
He warned that the perception of government inaction is feeding frustration and resentment, particularly in constituencies where trust in law enforcement is already low.
He expressed concern over the lack of consistent national dialogue on the broader effects of the Bawku conflict, noting that focusing solely on the north risks ignoring the realities now playing out in the south.
He urged security agencies to not only reinforce curfew enforcement in Bawku but also deploy intelligence-led operations in Ashanti to prevent potential escalations.
According to Assafuah, this is not merely a call for more boots on the ground. It is a plea for strategic, community-focused intervention—one that addresses both the symptoms and the underlying ethnic and territorial disputes fueling the unrest.
The MP admonished that failing to confront the ripple effects of the Bawku conflict will only lead to more violence, more fear, and further erosion of national unity. Ashanti, he said, cannot afford to become the next flashpoint.
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