“School children can now heave a sigh of relief since in the past two weeks we have not heard gunshots, talk less of the claim of the life of an innocent soul. Thanks to gov­ernment and the security apparatus,” he said.

The former Presiding Member for the Bawku Municipality, Mr Abubakari Iddrisu, said: “The reinforcement is good for the safety of the innocent people in Bawku who could have been shot, wounded, and even killed by the bad guys. However, the only concern I have is that, even in the midst of the security reinforcement, people are still escorted in and out of the town. People travelling to Cinkassey still have to go under heavy security escort. Residents should be made to understand that they have no right to attack anybody. Hence, the road should be accessed all day by travellers irrespective of their tribal affiliations.”

Mr Iddrisu recounted that on Saturday, August 16, a young man in a pickup vehicle en route the Bolga-Bawku-Pulmakom road was attacked, pelted with stones, and his windscreens smashed beyond repair at the time he was making his way into the town.

He, therefore, called on the government to work harder to reintegrate the two feuding factions, so that they soften their stance and pursue lasting peace. “When we see each other as one, trading in one market, teaching in the same schools, and our children having access to schools both at the outskirts and the town, then government’s peace enforce­ment efforts will not be in vain,” he advised.

Another resident, Mr Majeed Bagura, said the military and the police were doing a great job, but their work would not be complete unless they fully secured the Bolga-Bawku-Pulmakom road to ensure commuters could travel freely without fear of being accosted mid-journey.

He also bemoaned the shutting down of regular police services at the Bawku Divi­sional Command, saying: “We really want to see impact of the peace enforcement efforts by the government, and we cannot only rely on ‘operational services’ by the police.”

A Bawku-based journalist confirmed that calm and sanity had been restored in the conflict-ridden community, with both factions religiously obeying security rules and regulations without fail.

The Bawku Municipal Education Director, Mr Isaac Azasco Agbeko, urged candidates sitting this year’s West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in the municipality to remain focused despite the fragile peace.

“It is time to accept the reality, the facts on the ground and improvise,” he stressed.

“I can tell you that I have supervised the escorting of

 vehicles outside Bawku, and most of them carried children of school age. It’s pathetic,” a Police Officer in Bawku told this paper.

The deployment of Ghana Armed Forces personnel was announced on July 27, 2025, when government declared a shift from peacekeeping to peace enforcement after the escalation of killings.

The decision followed two separate attacks on July 26, which claimed the lives of three students: 18-year-old Mohammed Imoro Hakim, a final-year student of BAWSCO; Gideon and Lukman of Nalerigu SHS.

The Ghanaian Times has observed that the pain and uncertainty faced by the people in the area is gradually taking a new turn in the aftermath of the reinforcement.

Today, with the guns silent and guarded normalcy returning, residents cautiously hope the fragile peace can blossom into lasting stability.