Bawku conflict: We are counting on professionalism of the media – Catholic Bishops

The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has said it is relying on the media to help end the crisis in Bawku.

According to the Bishops, they are trusting that the media will act in a professional manner in communicating happenings around the crises to help bring a lasting solution.

Speaking at a press conference on February 9, the immediate past president of the Conference and Archbishop of the Tamale Archdiocese, Most Rev. Philip Naameh said he is of the conviction government will act speedily if the media remain professional in the way they report the crises.

“We would also like to rely on the professionalism of the media. This is a section of the Ghanaian population who for many years have been in turmoil. And any government that will not speedily come to the aid of its ailing population is also telling the population a different message about why they are there as government. So we want to trust the professionalism of the media to know how to bring the message across in a way that they do not have a choice but to act in the right direction,” Archbishop Naameh said.

The Bishops say they are saddened by “Recent developments in Bawku leading to the death of 15 people and other people sustaining varied degrees of injuries.”

The press conference by the Bishops comes after feuding parties in the protracted Bawku conflict were entreated to soften their stance and allow peace to prevail.

In December 2022, seven people were reported to have been killed in Bawku in the Upper East Region following renewed ethnic disturbances between Kusasis and Mamprusis.

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Reports indicate that an alleged killing of an old man at Sing-Naatin on Saturday, December 17, 2022, resulted in sporadic gunshots leaving five persons dead.

The spillover of gunshots on Sunday, December 18, 2022, resulted in the death of two persons bringing the death toll to seven. 15 persons have been reported to have died from the conflict since December last year with many sustaining various degrees of injuries.