Former Minister of Health, Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye, has urged Ghanaians not to politicise the recent deadly attack on Ghanaian traders in Burkina Faso, stressing that the incident must be handled as a serious security matter.⁰
He called on policymakers and the public to focus on improving intelligence gathering, strengthening cross-border security cooperation, and enhancing national preparedness, instead of engaging in partisan blame.
His remarks come after reports that Ghanaian tomato traders were ambushed by a terrorist group in Burkina Faso while returning home.
The attackers reportedly lined up the men, shot them, and set their vehicle on fire.
Eight Ghanaians who died in the attack have been buried. Survivors were airlifted to Ghana by the Ghana Armed Forces and are currently receiving medical treatment and counselling.
In an interview, Dr. Okoe Boye emphasized that the national discussion should remain focused on security and not be reduced to political debate.
“We should be careful not to move the discussion, which is a security issue, to a trade issue, to say that if we had even built a dam during someone’s time, this would not have happened. You have security issues, so let’s talk about that,” he stated.
He explained that in the past, Ghanaian traders operating in some of these territories were often allowed to pass after engaging with rebel groups who identified them as Ghanaians. However, the recent killings suggest a worrying shift.
“In time past, the traders went into these territories, engaged with the rebels, and after they engaged them and they realised they were from Ghana, they let them pass. Now, there is the situation where these rebels kill the traders at another time — that should tell you that something might have gone wrong,” he said.
Dr. Okoe Boye questioned whether Ghana’s security intelligence anticipated the evolving threat.
“But did our security intelligence pick that? If they did not pick that, then we should have a committee to look into that. This is how we can be better prepared for another event similar in the future,” he added.
He further warned that Ghana’s vulnerability is not limited to its northern frontier.
“Apart from the attack on the traders on the northern side of our border, we have other borders, and something can happen there as well. What are the lessons we learn from this one?” he asked.
Dr. Okoe Boye also dismissed arguments linking the incident to development projects such as the proposed Pwalugu Dam, describing such claims as misplaced.
“The fact that this has happened during the NDC’s time does not mean they failed miserably in security. So, they argue that if we had the Pwalugu Dam, they would not have gone there. But the issue is, even if we had the Pwalugu Dam working, someone would still enter Burkina Faso to buy another item there,” he said.
