Two Ghanaians have been killed in a terrorist attack close to the Burkina Faso-Mali border.
The Acting Chairman of the Joint Association of Port Transport Union, Alhaji Shamsu Baba Yaro confirmed the incident to Citi FM on Thursday.
The two truck drivers have been identified as Mouhamed Moumen and Suleiman Gariba.
The two Ghanaians were said to have been killed by the terrorist when they stopped at a security barrier near the Burkina Faso to Mali Border in a town called Koury to settle their usual travel arrangement fee of CFA 1,000.
According to a colleague driver who had been asked by the Joint Association of Port Union (JAPTU) to go and verify the situation and protect the goods, the security agencies demanded additional CFA 1,000 from the two drivers who refused to pay.
They then moved to the Police Officers who were close to the barrier to negotiate the fee.
While negotiating, armed men described by the contact as alleged members of the Boko Haram Terrorist Group, attacked the drivers as well as the other security officers at the barrier.
Instantly, seven (7) people which comprised two Malian Gendarmerie, Two Malian Duane (Customs), 1 Civilian Assistant to the Malian Duane and the two Ghanaian Truck Drivers, were shot and killed.
The remains of the murdered Ghanaian Truck Drivers and the five (5) others have so far been deposited at a Mortuary in Koutiala, a small town, 20km away from the Malian Border Town of Koury.
The trucks were reportedly carrying floor tiles from the Port of Takoradi in Ghana that were meant to be delivered to an importer in the Malian Capital, Bamako.
The drivers were reported to have left the Takoradi ports in Ghana about 2 weeks ago.
According to the owner of one of the trucks whose driver was killed in the unfortunate incident and parenthetically, a direct cousin to one of the victims disclosed that both truck drivers reportedly possessed valid ECOWAS Brown cards.
Terror threat : We are prepared - National Security assures
National Security has assured the Christian and the Muslim communities of its preparedness to counter any terrorist attacks on places of worship.
The security apparatus will also work with church workers and private security men to enhance security at the various places of worship, nonetheless guided by intelligence.
This came to light when the National Security Minister met with the leadership of Christians and the Muslims in Accra yesterday.
The meeting, presided over by the sector Minister, Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, was attended by representatives of the various religious groups, such as the Christian Council of Ghana, the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC), the Catholic Secretariat and the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission.
Background
The Africa Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies (ACSIS) last week issued a security alert that the Salafi Jihadist group based in Burkina Faso had been moving in and out of Ghana through the border with Burkina Faso over the past four months.
The militants are reported to have killed four Burkinabe customs officers at a checkpoint at Nohao, near the Ghana border, and burnt three vehicles in February 2019.
Gunmen last Sunday killed six people, including a priest, during Mass in a church in Dablo in northern Burkina Faso. The attackers also burnt down the church building.
It was the third attack on a church in Burkina Faso by jihadists in five weeks.
With threats on Ghana, church leaders and Islamic clerics are taking security at their places of worship seriously.
Even before the meeting with the National Security, some churches had begun the process to improve security on their premises, as well as arm their members with personal security tips.
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