Kusaug Youth condemns military brutality of innocent civilian; demands professionalism from military

The Coalition of Kusaug Youth Association has expressed displeasure about the assault of a civilian by some military personnel.

On September 14, at about 11:45 pm, one Mr. Apusah Patrick Akuka aka (Gago), a Kusasi young man was attacked by a group of military personnel from the Ghana Army stationed at the Bazua military base at his residence.

The incident happened in Barabog, a suburb of Bazua in the Binduri District without any provocation or reason.

From the information gathered, the victim was rounded up by military men, some of whom were in mufti while others had guns with them.

In a press release from the Coalition of Kusaug Youth Association, it condemned the assault on the civilian, adding that it could spark renewed clashes with the Mamprusi.

“The Coalition of Kusaug Youth Association wish to express our regret and disappointment in the military Personnel of the Bazua Base of the Ghana armed forces for the forceful entry, trespass to home, and aggravated assault occasioning harm,” part of the release said.

According to the Coalition of Kusaug Youth Association, it has strong evidence suggesting that there may be a deliberate deployment of Mamprusi security personnel and their sympathizers from the service to the area to do the bidding of the Maprusis.

The Coalition is now calling on the Government, Chief of Defence Staff, the Regional Security Council, and the military high command in Bawku to remain professional in their conduct during their deployment in Bawku as to help promote lasting peace.

“We implore you to consider this press release seriously and engage in an open dialogue regarding the increasing rise of military brutality in Bawku. We remain committed to the peace course and look forward to a neutral operation and professionalism of the military in Bawku. Thank you for your time and attention in this matter,” the release added.

Meanwhile, the coalition has also called on all citizens of Kusaug to remain calm and avoid provocative comments on this matter as the overlord of the Kusaug traditional area, His Royal Highness Zugraan Naba Asigiri Abugrago Azoka Il together with his eminent chiefs and elders of the land work hard towards restoring lasting peace in Bawku.

Read the full release from the Coalition of Kusaug Youth Association below:

MILITARY BRUTALITY AND ASSAULT OF AN INNOCENT CIVILIAN.

The Coalition of Kusaug Youth Association wish to express our regret and disappointment in the military Personnel of the Bazua Base of the Ghana armed forces for the forceful entry, trespass to home and aggravated assault occasioning harm.

On the 14" September, 2023, at about 11:45pm, one Mr Apusah Patrick Akuka aka (Gago), a Kusasi young man was attacked by a group of military personnel from the Ghana Army stationed at the Bazua military base at his residence in Barabog a suburb of Bazua in the Binduri District without any provocation or reason. He was rounded up by military men, some of whom were in mufti while others had guns with them.

He gave his account that he was far asleep in the night and was awakened by the sound of gun shots around his house and he had to take proper cover because he initially suspected that it was an armed robbery attack or an attack from a warring faction, the Mamprusis, which has recently become a common phenomenon in the community as a result of the conflict between the Kusasis and the Mamprusis because he couldn't believe that such an unprofessional and indiscriminately acts would come from any proper trained security personnel, let alone the military forces which is considered as the most discipline and one of the most trusted state institution in Ghana, only to be met with a heavy kick at his "poor door" which brought the whole door down accompanied with an immediate invasion of the military men into his room without notice. They visited such fate to all his rooms by breaking all the doors and vandalising other properties in search of a non-existent item he never knew of. This impatient brutality on him and intimidation of family members has left his children in a traumatised state at the moment. The uniformed men started searching all his rooms and premises for whatever he was not told of while others brutally attacked him, and beat him to a pulp resulting to severe bleeding, infliction of deep wounds on his head and other parts of his body which has left his health in a deteriorating state.

He was sent to the military base in Bazua for interrogation and as part was assaulted, tortured and detained for some hours without any charge or resistance and later handed him over to BNI officials in Bawku for further interrogation which ended up with absolutely no charge. His motorbike and mobile phone were seized by the officers and still in their custody.

This unprofessional, inhumane, sectorial and tribal witch-hunt of the youth and abled men of the Kusuag Traditional Area on the instructions of powerful hidden hands to intimidate, suppress and put fear in the Kusasis tends to provoke and incite community response which may stall the peace effort being made by the military high command in Bwaku to foster peace and security in the Kusuag kingdom because of lack of trust.

The youth of the Kusaug kingdom has observed with utter disdain and regret how our people (Kusasis) are being rounded up indiscriminately and beaten, killing others in the process on several occasions by the military personnel who are supposed to protect lives and properties, maintain law and order, rather they cause more harm to civilians and their properties than the waring factions.

The question that we want to ask the military high command in Bawku to this effect is that "do we trust the proposal that the commander initiated just two weeks ago to bring the warring factions together to dialogue for lasting peace" if yes, then who deployed the men to take such action, what was the reason or crime for a civilian to be subjected to such an inhumane treatment and was this thebest approach from security personnel for the ordinary civilian even if an Intel had been picked for whatever suspicion? Well, the people of Kusaug Traditional Area are waiting and hoping for the responses to these questions and that justice is given to Mr Apusah Patrick Akuka to restore the trust we had in the commander and his men on the ground.

This is becoming a worrying trend that fuels and raises anger among members of the community which if care is not taken might soon be met with the needed defence even against the "state protector"foroursurvival, safety andfreedom. We are by this issuing a strong statement to the effect that these barbaric unprofessional acts must stop with immediate effect and the government should through the military high command and other state institutions bring the perpetuators of such acts to book. Some of these personnel of this highly respected state institutionshould be "pruned",notto allow themselves to be used as tools by some politicians or self-seeking individuals who seek doom forusual. We strongly believe with sufficient evidence and experiences in the past that the may be a deliberate deployment of Mamprusi security personnel and their sympathizers from the service to thearea tobe used as proxy worries to do the bidding of the Maprusis, therefore we appeal to the Government, Chief of Defence Staff, the Regional security Council, the military high command in Bawku to remain professional in their conduct during their deployment in Bawku as much as we are fully prepared to cooperate to bring lasting peace in the area.

This has been brought on several occasions to the attention of authorities but has since not received any needed and positive response leading to the death of many more Kusasis, not from the civilian confrontations between the two factions but the "military-sponsored recruits".

We wish to also call on all citizens of Kusaug to remain calm and avoid provocative comments on this matter as the overlord of the Kusaug traditional area, His Royal Highness Zugraan Naba Asigiri Abugrago Azoka Il together with his eminent chiefs and elders of the land work hard towards restoring lasting peace in Bawku.

We implore you to consider this press release seriously and engage in an open dialogue regarding the increasing rise of military brutality in Bawku. We remain committed to the peace course and look forward to a neutral operation and professionalism of the military in Bawku. Thank you for your time and attention in this matter.