Political Violence In Tamale

Fighting broke out in Tamale on Tuesday between rival groups of butchers over what is believed to be a confrontation about broken tables at the butchers shop at the Tamale Central Market.

Unspecified number of people are said to have sustained gunshots and cutlass wounds. Police and military personnel have been deployed at the scene to bring the situation under control. As at 12.30 pm, the security personnel were firing warning shots while a military helicopter hovered around the town to scare the combatants.
Business in central Tamale has since come to a halt whilst the banks have also closed down for fear of any attack. People could be seen running for their dear lives throwing the municipality into confusion. When contacted, the police could not give any immediate information on the situation, saying that those deployed at the scene have not returned yet.
It is now known that about 10 persons are on admission at the Tamale Teaching Hospital following injuries they sustained during the clash. Dr Augustine Tabir, a medical officer at the hospital, briefing newsmen said four of the victims had been treated and discharged while six others, including a woman, were still on admission. He said the woman fell into a gutter and sustained deep cuts on her legs while running for her dear life.
Dr Tabir said that more victims were still expected since some of them had run into their rooms with wounds and that hospital staff were working around the clock to save lives. The situation at the Central Market was so volatile that the combatants even attacked security personnel and newsmen, throwing stones at them.
The Northern Regional Police Commander, Akrofi Asiedu told the GNA in Tamale that three supporters of NPP reported that supporters of NDC who were returning from a clean-up exercise at the Tamale Regional Hospital on Monday attacked them.
Seven persons had so far reported to the police with injuries they sustained during the clash and were issued with police medical forms. He said another complained from the Regional crime officer indicated that there were disturbances at the butchers shop at the Tamale central market over hoisting of NDC party flags on some of the butchers tables.
He said the NPP youth complained that the shop was a public place and that party flags should not be hoisted there. The police commander said at a meeting with NDC executives, they promised to remove the flags but as at the time of the clash, the flags were still not removed.
He said as a result the NPP Youth removed the flags, broke and burnt the tables and block the roads leading to the market entrance. The police and the military were later detailed to clear the roads and bring the situation under control. No arrests had been made and investigations are going on.