Security analyst Col Festus Aboagye (Rtd) has urged the government to take a more intelligence-led approach in addressing the longstanding Bawku conflict, arguing that without targeted surveillance and strategic interventions, peace will remain elusive.
Col Aboagye stressed the importance of using both human and technological intelligence to dismantle the operations of those he described as “spoilers”—individuals or groups allegedly profiting from the unrest.
“I strongly suggest that the government needs to invest more in intelligence resources to address the Bawku conflict,” he said while speaking on The Citi Breakfast Show with Bernard Avle.
According to him, the government already possesses the tools and capabilities to tackle the issue but must be intentional and tactical in their deployment.
“Both the security intelligence operatives and the technologies that the government has must be brought to bear on the Bawku conflict. These elements that we call spoilers will do anything and everything to ensure that the peace is not realised.”
He further alleged that there are known individuals driving the crisis, whose activities must be closely monitored and neutralised.
“We know the warlords, and I believe that National Security knows certain individuals who are behind the Bawku crisis, either as financiers or opinion leaders. You get to target those people using technology and human intelligence to neutralise their platforms,” he explained.
However, Col Aboagye cautioned that such a strategy may come with unintended consequences.
“Mind you, in the process, there could be collateral damage — like someone entering a senior high school and abducting two students, who sadly turn out not to be even Kusasi or Mamprusi.”
