Proper stakeholder engagement needed for Bawku, Nalerigu curfews to work – Assafuah

The Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, has criticised the government’s handling of the Bawku conflict.

He insisted that without meaningful engagement with local stakeholders, the imposition of curfews in the area will continue to be ineffective.

Speaking in an interview with JoyNews on Monday, July 28, Mr. Assafuah called for a more strategic and coordinated approach to national security in conflict-prone areas, beyond what he described as “surface-level actions.”

“We are having a security problem,” he stated. “A state will have to take proactive measures—not measures that on the face of it, it will look as if they are taking actions.”

He explained that the purpose of a curfew is to enforce calm and order, but this can only be achieved when community leaders are brought on board to help enforce such directives.

“You do not bring out a curfew when it is not properly coordinated to make sure that you get the effect that you need,” he explained. “What is the effect? The effect is that when you impose a curfew, people will have to obey it. And people will only obey it when there’s proper stakeholder engagement.”

Mr. Assafuah emphasised that local trust and buy-in are key. “There’s a need for traditional authorities, opinion leaders, and even youth leaders to be involved. If the curfew is not obeyed, then you don’t have a curfew at all,” he asserted.

His comments come in the wake of renewed violence in the Bawku enclave. The Interior Ministry recently imposed a 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. curfew for Bawku, Nalerigu, and the surrounding areas. However, reports from Nalerigu suggest widespread non-compliance, with residents continuing daily routines despite the curfew.

The security situation in Bawku and Nalerigu remains volatile, with sporadic gunfire and ethnic tensions fueling fear and displacement. Despite the heavy presence of military personnel, relative calm has remained elusive, leaving communities on edge and peace efforts under continuous strain.