A former presidential staffer, Charles Bissue, has proposed that the government grants amnesty to individuals in possession of ammunition in Bawku, as a measure to help de-escalate the ongoing conflict in the area.
Speaking on the escalating conflict at Bawku, Charles Bissue, who is also the 2024 Parliamentary Candidate of the New Patriotic Party for the Essikado-Ketan Constituency, elaborated on his proposal, suggesting that the government should consider offering amnesty to individuals in possession of illegal arms who are contributing to the unrest in the area.
He explained that under such an arrangement, individuals caught with illegal weapons would not face prosecution if they voluntarily surrender them.
According to Bissue, this approach could encourage people to disarm, helping to reduce tensions and prevent the already volatile situation from deteriorating further.
“I think we should go further and then grant amnesty for a period. I mean to say that if you have weapons, just surrender. Bring the weapons and we will let you go. I think that should be the starting point because we’re talking about peace. You remember Liberia when Buffalo soldier Major General Arnold Quainoo and then Samuel Kayondo were going for peace, then they said no guns but they had guns,” he stated during a panel discussion on Asaase Radio on Saturday, April 12, 2025.
Charles Bissue added that such an amnesty initiative could significantly support leaders and stakeholders in their efforts to resolve the conflict and restore peace to Bawku.
He emphasised that the objective of achieving lasting peace cannot be realised if the youth continue to bear arms and engage in violence.
“You know what I mean, so if we’re going to talk about peace and people still wield weapons in the system, I don’t think it would augur well and so, the starting point is maybe we grant amnesty that whoever has weapons within the system should bring it,” he added.
He expressed concern that the failure to address the conflict decisively could escalate the situation into a national crisis, potentially threatening the stability and peace of the entire country.
MAG/AE
Meanwhile, catch up on the concluding part of the story of Fort William, where children were sold in exchange for kitchenware, others, below:
