Ghanaian Soldiers Indicted For Abusing Ashaiman Residents

The Defence and Interior Committee, tasked last year to investigate circumstances leading to the invasion of Ashaiman, a suburb of Accra, by military personnel has indicted Ghana Armed Forces for committing atrocities against Ghanaian civilians.

The soldiers’ abusive actions were prompted by the killing of their colleague, Trooper Imoro Sherif, in the town on March 7, 2023, by a jilted lover of a girl he was dating. The case is yet to be forwarded to court for serious prosecution.

The soldiers, primarily from the Ghana Army and led by now Major General Thomas Oppong-Peprah, deployed military vehicles, a helicopter, heavy weapons, among other war-like resources during the invasion, resulting in injuries and death among the residents.

Some of the residents were made to strip and sleep and roll in foul-smelling gutters, for a murder they knew nothing about.

The parliamentary committee which did the probe on the orders of by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, submitted its report, cosigned by the Vice Chairperson of the Committee, Mrs Ophelia Mensah Hayford and a Senior Assistant Clerk, Gifty Jiage-Gobah, in November 2023.

The parliamentary committee, co-signed by Vice Chairperson Mrs Ophelia Mensah Hayford and Senior Assistant Clerk Gifty Jiage-Gobah, submitted its report in November 2023.

It called for compensation for residents who were brutalized by the military in March 2023.

The committee’s report, issued last Friday, emphasized that individuals who suffered various degrees of injury during the military action should be promptly and adequately compensated by the state. The compensation is also urged to cover those whose properties were destroyed in the course of the military operation.

The committee vehemently condemned the use of excessive force against civilians, expressing its strong disapproval of any form of torturous handling by the military and other security agencies.

The report indicated that following the evidence adduced and the legal framework concerning the event “persons brutalised by the military in Ashaiman on March 7, 2023, who sustained various degrees of injury should be promptly and adequately compensated by the state.”

“The compensation must be extended to cover those persons whose properties were destroyed in the course of the military swoop.”

The committee unequivocally condemned the use of excessive force against civilians, stating it “abhors any form of torturous handling of civilians by the military and other security agencies.”

The committee further urged the Ghana Armed Forces leadership to educate personnel on “the legal demands and consequences of such acts.”

Additionally, the committee urged the leadership of the Ghana Armed Forces to educate personnel on the legal requirements and consequences of such actions, emphasizing the need for accountability and respect for human rights.

The recommendations underscore the importance of holding the military accountable for their actions and preventing similar incidents in the future.

Here are the findings submitted by the Committee:

6.0 FINDINGS OF THE COMMITTEE I.

It was established that the military operation that took place at Ashaiman – Tulako and Ashaiman – Taifa on Tuesday, 7 March 2023 was indeed sanctioned by the Military High Command.

II. The operation was sanctioned based on intelligence gathered by the Military.

III. Some residents of the affected communities were subjected to acts of torture and sustained various degrees of injuries (see Appendix B).

IV. About 247 persons suffered varying degrees of injuries causing them somatic (bodily) pain, and with others traumatised (see Appendix C).

V. Dr Alhassan offered medical treatment for fifty (50) of the affected victims. There were damages to some personal properties of residents during the military operation (see Appendix A).

7.0 OBSERVATIONS

7.1 Institutional Failures of Security Agencies

The Committee observed that there was no collaboration between the Ghana Armed Forces and the Ghana Police Service in the Ashaiman operation. The Committee noted that intelligence-led operations within the country that border on crime are the preserve of the Ghana Police Service. Therefore, intelligence gathered by the Ghana Armed Forces should have been passed on to the Ghana Police Service for necessary action. The Committee observed that an inter-agency collaboration could have averted the type of brutalities that was witnessed at Ashaiman.

7.2 Deteriorated relationship between the Military and Civilians

The Committee noted that the relationship between the Military and Civilians had deteriorated significantly resulting in constant reports of Civilian[1]Military clashes. This deteriorating relationship between Citizens and the Military must be addressed as a matter of urgency. A good and effective civil[1]military relations is a recipe for national peace and security.

7.3 Sensitizing the Populace

The Committee observed that lack of awareness of the benefits of peaceful coexistence is detrimental. Accordingly, the Committee urges State Agencies and key stakeholders to educate and sensitize the Ghanaian populace on the importance of tolerance in promoting peace and social cohesion.

7.4 Timing of the Military Operation

Although the Military raid in Ashaiman was based on intelligence as indicated by the Military, the timing of the operation appears to be inappropriate and could be interpreted by the public as an act of revenge for the death of the soldier.

7.5 Excessive Military Force

The Committee also observed with concern, that the Military used excessive force in rounding up suspects leading to innocent civilians being beaten and harassed. In the Committee’s opinion, this is unacceptable and intolerable, as the atrocities unleashed by the military violated the fundamental rights of the affected persons.

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