Joint security force operation sends Wa East into disarray

Residents of Kpaanamuna and Manwe communities in the Wa East District of the Upper West Region are living in fear after a raid by a Joint Military, Police, and Immigration officers left the communities in panic mode.

The people of Kpaanamuna on Tuesday, November 23, 2021, were going about their normal daily activities when the security from nowhere thronged the community affecting arrests, beating people, vandalising, and setting equipment used in small scale mining known as galamsey ablaze.

The operation saw them destroy and burn down machinery and temporal structures at galamsey sites leaving people fleeing helter-skelter.

This was followed by yet another raid Thursday, November 25 at Manwe also in the Wa East District which according to my source there, said was even more ruthless.

At Manwe, the joint security operation transcended to the community and homes of residents apparently because some miners bring home gold dust to work on. The security allegedly destroyed and burnt down any equipment on sight, including motorbikes and tricycles even to the extent of brutalising people who have nothing to do with mining.

It is unclear the motive of the operation as leadership in the region is still tight-lipped over the development. This has left people perplexed as to the reason for the operation.

However, reports in the local media claimed the operation was triggered by intelligence gathered suggesting the possible infiltration of galamsey sites by terrorists. But many residents have been lamenting over the brutalities and excesses meted out to them by the security for no wrong done.

Our reliable source at the Regional Police Command disclosed that the joint security team operation was able to arrest over 200 suspected criminals from the operation.

The source in furtherance noted the operation, apart from being carried out throughout Northern Ghana, was also being done in tandem with the neighbouring countries to arrest criminals and bad elements particularly terrorists.

Meanwhile, Dr. Ewurah Suleman Mahama Kandia, the Wa East District Chief Executive, in an interview with GhanaWeb’s Upper West Correspondent, Ilyaas Al-Hasan, claimed he only got wind of the operation after it had commenced but was quick to add it was a national operation slated for the five regions of the North.

Our attempts to get an official reaction from the Police Command did not yield results as the Public Relations Officer of the outfit – Chief Inspector Gideon Ohene Boateng declined to comment but promised the Command would soon issue a release to that effect.