Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Northern Ghana have raised an urgent alarm over reports that violent extremist groups operating from Burkina Faso are engaging in an illicit trade of guns for gold within mining communities in Ghana’s Upper East Region. The practice is allegedly taking place in key mining areas, including Teshie, Widnaba, and Sapeliga in the Bawku West District, and Gbane and Datuku in the Talensi District, exploiting the porous border for easy passage. CSOs indicate the trade, which reportedly began last year, provides a source of funding for extremist activities across the sub-region.
The matter was brought to light by the Northern Ghana CSOs Platform on Natural Resources during a capacity-building workshop in Tamale. Alima Sagito Saeed, Executive Director of SWIDA Ghana, who read a communiqué on behalf of the group, stated that the phenomenon involves some members of Burkinabe Community Defence Groups who exchange weapons for gold from local miners. Conversely, the miners are said to be using the newly acquired weapons to protect illegal concessions, settle disputes, and ward off rivals, thereby fuelling violent crimes and exacerbating the existing Bawku conflict.
The CSOs called on the Ministry for the Interior, the Ministry of Defence, and the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons (NACSA) to immediately investigate and curb the menace. They further urged the government to intensify surveillance in mining communities, clamp down on illegal small-scale mining, and strengthen cross-border collaboration. Sources in the Upper East Region have confirmed the issue, noting that security operatives recently retrieved weapons bearing Burkina Faso registration numbers. While the Regional Security Liaison Officer, Paul Danka, said the issue hadn’t been formally brought to his attention, he acknowledged the possibility of weapon smuggling given the nature of the borders.
Culled from the Daily
