John Krugu: Ghana Card is Allegedly Being Used To Identify Tribes

The protracted conflict in Bawku recently took a turn for the worse and has brought untold hardship and claimed lives in the area. John Krugu, the New Patriotic Party Parliamentary candidate for Zebilla, drew attention to a disturbing trend in the alleged use of the Ghana Card in identifying the tribal affiliations of individuals said to have resulted in deaths in the conflict.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on October 28, Mr. Krugu explained that the Ghana Card, intended to be used for national identification, is used in identifying people with regard to their tribe, adding that targeted attacks are going on in the areas where violence has erupted between the Kusasi and Mamprusi. He said such a misuse of the card is worsening an already hopeless situation.

The Presbyterian Hospital in Bawku has been overwhelmed with casualties from these ongoing acts of violence. Severely injured people have had transfers to nearby Bolgatanga foiled by blockades. In one such incident, some gunmen stopped travelers along the Bolgatanga-Tamale highway, asking for Ghana Cards to check tribal identities and allowing or disallowing passage. As a result, eight travelers were killed and several vehicles were torched.

Mr. Krugu's comments come with the growing crisis, explaining how it exceeds the main actors to innocent people. The statement now focuses on the human element for immediate intervention, reiterating how people stay awake at night with gunfire and other acts of violence. This alleged misuse of the Ghana Card heightens tribal tensions; thus, it is clear peacekeeping forces are needed alongside root cause analysis for successful conflict resolution.

This tragedy underlines the need for sustained conflict resolution efforts and sends out a clarion call for unity in action with the desire to resolve long-standing grievances and prevent further bloodshed.