The border town of Hamile is seeking a return to normalcy following a deadly explosion and subsequent clashes that disrupted economic activities, prompting the Comptroller-General of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Samuel Basintale, to lead a peace dialogue with local stakeholders.
The intervention follows an incident on November 3 along an unauthorised route known as “Mountain Back 2.”
The incident reportedly resulted in the death of an immigration officer and tricycle riders in a dynamite explosion, while 11 civilians sustained injuries during a subsequent confrontation with security personnel.
The visit was intended to rebuild strained relations between residents and security agencies following the recent disturbances. It commenced with an inspection of the quarter guard parade at the forecourt of Ministries Block B, after which the Comptroller-General met with members of the Upper West Regional Security Council for a detailed briefing on the security situation before proceeding to Hamile.
The Upper West Regional Police Commander, DCOP Francis Yiribaare, represented the chairman of the council.
Giving an update on the situation, a security official said:
“Just to add that the number of people who were injured in the course of those confrontations, nine so far have been discharged and scheduled for various dates for review. At the moment, the curfew is still ongoing, and we are enforcing it with all our might. We continue to keep our integrated team in Hamile to support the process, and we are also happy to witness the opening, the reopening, and the limited opening of the border. Business is not open today, but we are going to watch this opening.”
Comptroller-General Samuel Basintale cautioned that even a six-hour border closure could result in serious traffic congestion, warning that large gatherings of people among stationary vehicles could pose challenges for security personnel.
“Mali is now using it a lot for their cargo, and you close it for even six hours; look at the traffic that builds up there. I don’t think it is in the interest [of security], as that could even compound our security situation. Because if people mass up in between the vehicles, that becomes difficult to control. So it is better to process them quickly and let the trucks move than to lock it for whatever reason.”
Upon reaching the border post, the Comptroller-General was received by the Hamile Centre Commander, Chief Superintendent Mohammed Abdul Mananu, who briefed the delegation on the November 3 incident and its aftermath.
Commander Mananu said the incident started when two immigration officers attempted to intercept a tricycle suspected of transporting dynamite along the Mountain Back 2 route.
He explained that the attempt was followed by a powerful explosion that uprooted trees, killing one officer and leaving another critically injured. The situation later escalated, with a group of agitated youths reportedly storming the immigration office, throwing stones and setting tyres ablaze.
He added that the arrival of military and police reinforcements was followed by gunfire, leaving 11 residents injured.
The Upper West Regional Police Commander, DCOP Francis Yiribaare, also briefed the delegation, indicating that the security situation had since improved. He said residents had remained cooperative and that the revised curfew, running from 10:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m., had been implemented without resistance.
Delivering his remarks through the Assembly Member for the Happa Electoral Area, the Happa Divisional Chief, Hiller Dyaka Thomas Badukun III, welcomed the delegation and expressed concern about the impact of the disturbances on residents.
He said the curfew had severely disrupted economic activities, leaving many women unable to prepare and sell food, while cross-border trade had virtually ground to a halt.
Chairman of the Hamile Development Committee, Ibrahim Mohammed, called for calm and reconciliation, apologising on behalf of the community and acknowledging its part in the recent disturbances.
He also appealed for urgent measures to clear the large number of cargo trucks stranded at the border, citing the growing hardship facing women and children in the area.
Meanwhile, youth representative Mohammed Ibrahim assured the Comptroller-General that the youth were committed to preventing a recurrence of the violence. He called for the lifting of the curfew and urged junior immigration officers to exercise greater patience and restraint in their dealings with residents and cross-border travellers.
“We shouldn’t always come to war-war, but to jaw-jaw for peace to always prevail,” the Comptroller-General said, using the popular phrase to urge the community to prioritise dialogue over violence.
He raised concerns about the use of unauthorised bush routes by smugglers to transport weapons and synthetic drugs, including Tramadol, warning that the activities were having a damaging effect on the youth. He urged residents to stop protecting individuals involved in such illegal operations and support efforts to clamp down on smuggling.
Responding to complaints about the conduct of some immigration officers, Mr Basintale acknowledged that lengthy postings could sometimes lead to complacency. He assured residents that officers who had overstayed their postings would be transferred and pledged support towards clearing the backlog of stranded cargo trucks.
As part of efforts to restore confidence and strengthen relations between residents and security agencies, he announced plans to introduce a new Community Engagement and Policing initiative in the region.
He further pledged to recommend the lifting of the restrictive curfew to the Minister of the Interior by Monday, subject to assurances from community leaders that lasting peace would be maintained.
The visit ended with an inspection of the explosion site along the Mountain Back 2 route, where the Comptroller-General and his delegation observed the extent of the destruction caused by the blast. The visit served as a reminder of the security challenges confronting border communities and the need for stronger measures to prevent similar incidents.
READ ALSO: Hamile Explosion Death Toll Rises to Three, 10 Others Injured
