Curfew on Bawku lifted

The District Co-ordinating Director (DCD), Mr J.B. Atogiba, announced on Tuesday that the curfew imposed on Bawku township in the Upper East Region has been lifted.

He told the Ghana News Agency that since the people are now going about their normal duties peacefully, it is imperative that the curfew be lifted.

The tension and fear that gripped the people in the aftermath of the ethnic clash has also faded into thin air, he added.

Following the delay by the Bawku East District Electoral Office to release the December 7 parliamentary election results, the Mamprusis and Kusasis in the town clashed, resulting in the death of more than 30 people.

Several others were injured while many houses and property and billions of cedis were burnt.

Mr Atogiba stated that the dust to dawn curfew, which was imposed on Bawku two months ago had to be lifted on Monday following the return to normalcy of the situation that necessitated its imposition.

Situational reports received from members of the District Security Committee (DISEC), notably the Police, Military and the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), which indicated that the people are now co-existing peacefully compelled the Regional Security Committee (REGSEC) to lift the curfew, he added.

The DCE stressed the need to maintain the military personnel in the town to forestall any unforeseen eventuality.

Mr Atogiba explained that since some people lost their relatives in the conflict and others too lost all that they had in life, it is necessary that the military personnel are retained to monitor the people's movements, more especially in the night, until the peace that has been attained is concretised.

In a related development, the announcement that the curfew had been lifted was received with wild cheers and jubilation by people of all walks of life in the town.

A prominent businessman who pleaded anonymity remarked: "Bawku will soon return to the business structure that it was prior to the eruption of the ethnic conflict".

An elated typist working with the District Assembly, Miss Rahinatu Yakubu, intimated that the announcement made her feel as if she had been released from an unlawful detention.