Albert Kwabena Dwumfuor
The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Christian Tetteh Yohuno, to intervene over threats and assaults against journalists covering the Bawku conflict.
On Monday, January 26, 2026, soldiers in Walewale, in the North East Region, reportedly assaulted and detained a journalist with the Media General Group, Solomon Kwame Kanaluwe, over where he had parked his motorbike.
Solomon, the North East Regional correspondent for the Media General Group, told the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) that he had parked his motorbike in front of a shop when about four soldiers approached and began asking for the owner of the motorbike.
According to the journalist, the soldiers claimed that dealing with anyone who disrupts their operations was part of their work, adding that personnel on duty could subject anyone who disrupts their work to minor punishment.
But the President of the Ghana Journalists Association, Albert Kwabena Dwumfuor, addressing the media at a press conference in Accra, said the Association is alarmed by the attacks targeting journalists in the Upper East Region, especially some notable journalists including the Upper East Regional Chairman of the GJA.
He said the Association was ‘gravely alarmed’ by the death threats and described it as “reckless, criminal and deeply dangerous not only to the lives of journalists but also to public order and national security.”
According to him, journalists reporting on the Bawku conflict have been openly labelled as enemies and subjected to several online abuse, as well as threatened through social media posts, including voice notes and other digital platforms.
He warned that the growing atmosphere of fear and intimidation could easily escalate into mob violence if urgent action is not taken.
He mentioned that the Association has received a detailed report from the Upper East Regional GJA Chairman, Mr. Albert Sore, of how engagement was distracted by some faceless individuals who also issued threats to him and other journalists.
Mr. Dwumfuor stated that the Association is becoming increasingly worried as a result of similar threats that have been directed at journalists covering the Bawku conflict in the past.
He said the trend, which is worrying, points to a disturbing situation aimed at silencing the media, and could lead to a mob attack if the state fails to address the issue urgently.
While acknowledging some initial engagement with the Upper East Regional Police Command, the GJA President said such continued threats suggest existing security measures are inadequate and, therefore, called for sustained police protection for affected journalists, as well as the arrest and prosecution of perpetrators of such acts.
“Any harm to a journalist in the course of duty, particularly where prior threats have been reported, would represent a grave failure of protection and accountability,” he stated.
Mr. Dwumfuor further mentioned that the Association will not accept a reactive approach, and will attract sustained national and international advocacy if the state fails to protect journalists in the region.
By Ebenezer K. Amponsah