The Bissa Development Association of Ghana has condemned the prolong silence of government over some seven Ghanaians who went missing along the Ghana-Burkina Faso border.
The seven men were reported missing on October 11, 2023 after they had crossed into the Bittu District of Burkina Faso to claim their cattle which had been driven there by some nomadic herdsmen.
The seven men; Abdulai Bagre, Mumuni Seidu, Issaka Nyikabo, Abu Kadir Salifu, Jebrilu Braimah, Bande Mamudu, and Bande Shaibu are residents of the Bador and Tampizua communities in the Bawku Municipality.
Spokesperson of the Group, Alhaji Abdul Malik Ibrahim Bansi at a press conference in Bawku on Sunday, January 21 said government has not provided any update about the incident to the affected families.
“We are therefore appealing to the government to as a matter of urgency take steps to investigate these alleged killings and establish the truth. It has been three long months of trauma, grief, extreme pain for the families and loved ones.
“So far there is no message from the government to assure the families of anything that is being done to investigate the matter,” he noted.
A member of one of the affected families said “we have actually gotten to the government on several occasion trying our best that they should do something so that we will know the whereabouts of our people. We will continue to remind government until what we want is given to us.”
However, the Municipal Chief Executive for Bawku, Amadu Hamza denied claims that government is making no efforts to unravel the mystery behind the missing of the seven Ghanaians.
“Efforts have been made, we have activated all the international protocols that we needed to do…contacts have been made by the immigration officers in Bawku yet we have not received any information about the people who left for Burkina,” he explained.
In November last year, Bawku central MP, Mahama Ayariga appealed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration to activate diplomatic channels with the military authorities in Burkina Faso to locate and return the seven men.