Wale Wale: Curfew extended over persistent security tension (Check Out...)

Curfew imposed

Wale Wale: Curfew extended over persistent security tension in the North East Region

Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, the interior minister, has renewed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in Walewale and surrounding areas of Ghana’s North East Region over unresolved security concerns.

Effective February 22, 2025, the 12-hour curfew from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. aims to hinder rising tensions in the region contending with unpredictable clashes, though officials have not specified recent incidents triggering the extension.

The minister’s announcement, delivered via a press statement, reiterated a strict ban on public possession of arms, ammunition, or “offensive weapons” in the area, warning violators of arrest and prosecution.

Authorities also urged community leaders and the youth to "exercise restraint" and engage in conversation to resolve complaints, indicating that tensions remain despite government initiatives to bring stability to the region.

This highlights the latest in a series of curfew renewals for Walewale, a hotspot in Ghana’s north where land disputes, ethnic rivalries, and resource conflicts have periodically flared into violence.

Although curfews are framed as temporary measures to deter nighttime attacks; critics argue they risk normalizing emergency protocols without tackling root causes. Security analysts note that such restrictions often disrupt livelihoods, limiting access to markets and healthcare while deepening mistrust between residents and state forces.

The renewed order underscores broader challenges in Ghana’s northern regions, where underinvestment, poverty, and weak governance fuel cycles of instability. Previous curfews in Bawku, Yendi, and other areas have stretched for years, with mixed results.

Although civil society activists have been advocating for targeted development projects in addition to security measures, local officials in Walewale have not yet openly responded to the extension.

Currently, the government maintains its cautious alignment. Despite the encouragement of "non-violent means," the strong security presence reveals a readiness for a greater crisis.

For many, the trade-off between safety and freedom has become an endless reality, and when night falls in Walewale, residents must contend with another stretch of disrupted routines.