Burma camp is no more a security zone - Prof Aning

Professor Kwesi Aning, the Director of the Faculty of Academic Affairs & Research, at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), has stated that Burma Camp, which is the country’s major military operations centre is no longer a security zone due to the influx of civilians and other non-military actors.

GhanaWeb monitored comments he made on the news analysis program, News File on Accra based TV station JoyNews on Saturday, May 15, 2021.

According to Professor Aning, security zones are usually more secured and highly protected making it harder for just anyone to walk in and out of the zones without permission.

“Let me come to Burma Camp, it ought to be (a security zone) but it is no more, because if you take the accounting base for how many professional and technical people needed to be living at that camp, probably they are more than 20 times the number of people living there.

"However, anyone in uniform or supposedly from national security can intimidate you within Burma camp if he or she thinks that you are doing something that he or she doesn’t like and that is why we need to go back to the broader question, what are the mechanisms and processes that lead to the designation of a place, as a national security zone,” he said.

He added that despite losing a strict designation as 'security zones,' Burma Camp and the premises of the Ministry of Defense, needed adequate security protection.

“Both are security zones but Burma Camp is no more a real security zone because it has been infiltrated by civilians. Hawkers, traders, shops, people who don’t have any business being in Burma Camp,” he added.

Background

The subject of security zones has become topical due to the recent report of National Security operatives who invaded the premises of Accra-based Citi FM last Tuesday, May 11, 2021.

They reportedly arrested and assaulted one journalist who had gone to film at the premises of the National Security without due authorization.

Condemnation

The Ghana Journalist Association president Roland Affail Monney has condemned the act of the National Security operatives while the Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) have also added their voice to the condemnation and called for an independent probe into the issue.

Watch a discussion on the arrest of Caleb Kudah from the 12th minute of the video below