Wa: We’ll punish ‘unprofessional’ rampaging soldiers – GAF

The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has indicated that it will deal with some soldiers who were involved in the assault of civilians in Wa on Thursday, 1 July 2021.

Armed soldiers were videoed randomly stopping, searching and brutalising civilians in the Upper West Regional capital, over a missing mobile phone.

Some of the locals were asked to lie in open sewers while others were doused with hot water or tasered.

A video of the incident got widely circulated on social media on Thursday, a couple of days after some soldiers shot and killed protesters in Ejura, Ashanti Region.

A statement issued and signed by the Director of Public Relations of the Ghana Armed Forces, Colonel E. Aggrey-Quashie, on 2 July 2021, indicated: “This unprofessional conduct took place on Thursday, 1 July 2021 and at a time when the commanding officer of the soldiers, and the chairman of the Regional Security Council, were both out of town on official engagements”.

“Internal disciplinary measures have been instituted to deal with all those who will be found culpable in this unprofessional conduct by the soldiers,” it further noted, adding: “In view of the seriousness of the matter, the Chief of the Army Staff is leading a high powered military delegation to Wa to meet the traditional and opinion leaders to find an amicable way of resolving this unfortunate incident”.

“The delegation will also explore means to assuage the anger of the people and promote good neighbourliness”.

The army assured the locals of Wa and the general public that “their safety is paramount at all times, as such would not condone any professional conduct by any member of the force”.