Armed men block Bolgatanga-Tamale highway, attack passengers

Armed men reportedly blocked the Bolgatanga-Tamale highway near Gbimsi in Ghana’s North East Region, attacking passengers and setting a vehicle ablaze.

The group, wielding AK-47 rifles and other weapons, intercepted vehicles, allegedly searching for individuals from the Bawku area.

This attack follows a recent flare-up in the long-standing Bawku chieftaincy conflict, which has intensified since October 26.

Witnesses described harrowing scenes as the assailants screened passengers based on ethnicity, heightening fears among travelers in the region.

One survivor recounted narrowly escaping the assailants after they questioned his ethnicity. “I saw people holding guns, blocking the road, and burning tyres.

They were looking for Kusasis,” he said. The attackers, believed to be targeting people linked to the Kusasi ethnic group, reportedly assaulted several individuals during the incident.

The village of Gbimsi, a primarily Mamprusi community, has seen escalating tensions spill over from the Bawku clashes, raising security concerns across the area.

Attempts to reach the North East Regional Police Command for a response have so far been unsuccessful.