Border tensions flare at Hamile as youth burn GIS vehicle
Tensions flared overnight at the Hamile border town in Ghana’s Upper West Region as angry youth clashed with officials from the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), setting a government vehicle on fire and damaging the Immigration office.
According to reports, the unrest began late last night and continued into the early hours of the morning.
The youth reportedly lit tyres on fire and stormed the GIS office after accusing officers of misconduct and abuse of power.
Eyewitnesses say the situation escalated after an immigration officer allegedly assisted armed men from Burkina Faso to enter Ghana through the Hamile border, heightening security fears in the already tense border area.
The youth were also angered by claims that the same officer unlawfully arrested a Burkinabe woman who had been living in the Ivory Coast due to instability in her home country.
She was reportedly visiting a relative in Nandom when she was intercepted by immigration personnel. According to locals, she was forcibly placed into a GIS vehicle, an action many saw as unjust.
“She was just visiting family, and the way they handled her was inhumane,” one resident told. “People are scared and angry. We need answers, not silence.”
Security presence in the area has since been increased as investigations into the incident continue.