Kufuor unhappy about recurrent violence in Bawku

Bawku (U/E) May 12, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Monday expressed concern and displeasure at the recurrent violent conflict in Bawku, at a time that peace talks were almost completed.

He said after the meetings with the two feuding parties and the Nayiri, Chief of Mampurugu, last February, something important came up, which he thought would be the key to finding a lasting solution to the conflict, only to hear that the effort did not yield the desired result. Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Alhassan Samari delivered the special message from President Kufuor to both the Kusasi and Mamprusi factions in the conflict at Bawku.

Speaking to the Chief of Bawku, Naba Asigri Abugrago Azoko II and his Elders, Mr Samari said President Kufuor wanted them to exercise restraint while efforts were being made to find a lasting solution to the conflict.

He informed them that President Kufuor would be inviting them to Accra soon for further talks.

Naba Azoka said after the previous meeting with President Kufuor, he called all his Chiefs and Elders and informed them about all that they had discussed and asked all to adhere to the President's call for peace.

He said all his people agreed to stop the violence and Bawku returned to normalcy until last week when his nephew, Alhaji Karim Ogah Musah was killed.

When Mr Samari met the Mamprusi faction, Alhaji Akhalifa Bugri, Elder of the Mamprusis, stated that some of the acts that usually sparked off the conflict in the area were done by criminals and called on the Security Services to do a thorough investigation into the Sunday night's killing that started the recent violence. He complained that the conflict had made life very difficult for them as the people could not do their businesses and the curfew hours were making the hot weather unbearable. Mr Ofuso-Mensah Gyaebour, Upper East Regional Police Commander, told the people that the Security Personnel were neutral and needed their cooperation to be able to do their work efficiently. He asked them to send the Police any information that would help them to stop criminal acts or arrest people, who perpetrated criminal acts, saying; "our duty is to protect everybody and their property". When GNA went round the Bawku Township all was calm and people were going about their businesses without problems. The banks were also opened for work.