Chieftaincy clash claims two lives, injures two others

Two persons are confirmed dead while two others have been severely injured after a long standing chieftaincy dispute between two royal clans in the Central Region resulted in a gun battle on Monday September 30.

The deceased persons, a 26-year-old man and a 60-year-old woman, lost their lives when the Ahenie clan and the Asuna royal clan of Diaso clashed over who should install a new chief to ascend the throne of Diaso.

According to Joy News' Central Regional Correspondent, Richard Kojo Nyarko, the two claimants to the stool have been involved in a turf war spanning more than 70 years, but the situation got to a head about 20 years ago when each of the royal clans attempted to install a new chief.

Although none of them went ahead with the installation, it marked the beginning of a bitter enmity between the two clans.

The Police picked up signals of an impending clash between the clans last week and hence initiated a process to obtain an injunction on any installation of chief in the area from the Dunkwa Magistrate Court.

But according to Richard, the Court dismissed the application for injunction on the grounds that the matter does not fall within the remit of the Police, especially that the issue was already before the Central Regional House of Chiefs.

The Asuna Royal clan then went ahead to install a chief on Monday, but while they were carrying the new chief in a palanquin through the town, they clashed with the other faction - the Ahenie clan.

There was sporadic shooting during the clash and it took a Police reinforcement team from Assin Fosu to bring the situation under control. Richard Kojo Nyarko says there is currently an easy calm in the town as the Police have increased their presence in potential conflict hot spots.

The two injured persons are recuperating at the Dunkwa Government Hospital.