GJA declares Bawku conflict area an early warning zone for Press safety
President of the Association Albert Dwumfour, said the designation requires heightened vigilance, proactive security deployment, and continuous engagement with journalists on the ground to prevent attacks and intimidation.
The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has formally designated the Bawku conflict area in the Upper East Region as an early warning zone for press safety, citing rising security concerns and threats to media practitioners working in the area.
In a statement issued, President of the Association Albert Dwumfour, said the designation requires heightened vigilance, proactive security deployment, and continuous engagement with journalists on the ground to prevent attacks and intimidation.
According to the GJA, it will not tolerate a reactive approach to journalist safety, where interventions are only made after harm has already occurred. The Association stressed that preventive measures must be prioritized to protect journalists operating in conflict-prone areas.
“We are putting the state on notice that any attack on a journalist in the Upper East Region, particularly in cases where prior threats have been formally reported, will be treated as a direct failure of protection,” the statement said.
The GJA warned that such failures would attract sustained national and international advocacy until accountability is secured, underscoring the seriousness with which it views the safety of media practitioners.
The Association reiterated its call for expedited investigations into reported threats, and the arrest and prosecution of all individuals who issue threats or incite violence against journalists.
The GJA stated that safeguarding press freedom and the lives of journalists is a shared responsibility, urging state authorities and security agencies to act decisively to ensure that media practitioners can work without fear in the Bawku area and across the country.
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