Former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has expressed shock over the killing of seven Ghanaians in a suspected terrorist attack in neighbouring Burkina Faso, an incident that has renewed calls for stronger regional security measures.
According to initial reports, the traders were travelling for commercial activities when they were ambushed by armed assailants in a volatile area. Authorities in both Ghana and Burkina Faso have yet to release full details, but the attack is believed to be linked to ongoing extremist violence in parts of the Sahel region.
Describing the news as deeply shocking, Dr. Bawumia said he “received with shock news of some Ghanaian traders who have been killed as well as several others injured in a terrorist attack in Burkina Faso.”
In a Facebook post, he added: “The NPP, Samira and I express our condolences to the families of the bereaved and our best wishes to the injured. Ghanaian traders must not be left to such peril as they go about their trade. I urge the government to deepen intelligence collaboration with all our neighbors to ensure Ghanaians are protected wherever they find themselves. Our well-established framework for preventing and countering violent extremism and terrorism should be strengthened.”
Meanwhile, the Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak, confirmed the reports, saying Ghanaian authorities were coordinating closely with their Burkinabè counterparts. He noted that due to the continued security risk in Titao, Ghana’s embassy could not travel there for the burial.
“The condition of the bodies required immediate burial,” he explained, “but Burkinabè authorities agreed to take DNA samples beforehand to assist with formal identification.”
He added that surviving women, who personally knew the victims, have provided names to Ghanaian officials and will document the burial process.
