Fulani Saga: Stop shooting, killing cattle – Irbard Ibrahim

The joint military-police personnel deployed to Agogo in the Ashanti Region to quell the recurrent rife between locals and nomadic Fulani herdsmen, must stop shooting and killing innocent cattle, security consultant Irbard Ibrahim has said.

“Ghana’s military should, as a matter of urgency, stop shooting and killing innocent cattle in Agogo,” Mr Ibrahim said.

“It is against international norms on animal rights and could spark reprisal attacks that would negatively affect Ghana’s international standing and national security interests,” he warned.

The shoot-to-kill strategy was adopted by the Operation Cow Leg task force following an attack on three soldiers and a police officer in Agogo on Monday, 8 January 2018 allegedly by herdsmen.

The four security personnel were shot by the Fulani cattle herders after they had responded to a distress call by a local resident whose farm was being trampled by stray cattle.

Since then, a number of cattle have reportedly been shot on sight, a situation which Mr Ibrahim portends a lot of ill consequences for Ghana’s security.

He is in good company with fellow security analyst Dr Kwesi Aning who has said the: “…The shoot-the-cattle strategy is confrontational, dangerous,” and also “aggravates the problem.”