Dr. Franklyn Kwasi Biney, Security Analyst has cautioned that any delay in intelligence gathering regarding the Bawku conflict could trigger a full-scale eruption of violence, with devastating national consequences.
The security analyst, in an interview with ABC News GH, described the nation’s intelligence apparatus as reactive rather than preventative.
“Any delayed intelligence gathering will cause the conflict to erupt,” he warned, urging immediate reforms in how security threats, especially in volatile border regions, are managed.
Biney tied the inefficiency in intelligence to the worsening security situation in Bawku and surrounding regions, which he believes is being dangerously underestimated.
“The northern Burkina border is poorly secured,” he noted, stating that Ghana’s vulnerability to cross-border threats is feeding into the conflict.
He also emphasized that “proliferation of arms is a threat,” especially as weapons and foreign fighters may enter undetected.
“This is no longer just an internal tribal issue—it is national, regional, and cross-border,” he stressed.
His comments follow the shocking assassination of the Kusasi Chief, Kaad-Naba Tiewin II, in the Ashanti Region.
The late chief, who was also the acting Kusasi Ashanti regional head, was gunned down by assailants in a manner described by community elders as audacious and targeted.
Dr. Biney suggested that the attack could be a chilling signal of what may come if national security continues to downplay the seriousness of Bawku’s deteriorating situation.
“Burkina Faso may exploit the conflict,” he said, suggesting regional actors could become entangled if Ghana fails to act swiftly.
Dr. Biney concluded by emphasizing the urgent need for political neutrality and genuine commitment to mediation efforts.
“We don’t have to allow the conflict to escalate,” he warned again.
According to him, time is running out, and if intelligence agencies do not rise to the challenge, the consequences could be grave.
The Bawku crisis, he reiterated, is not a tribal matter to be left to traditional councils alone, but a looming national emergency that demands coordinated, apolitical action now.
