Latest From Bawku ....Residents Flee Homes

The communal conflict stricken and fear-gripped residents of Bawku Municipality and its environs have started fleeing their homes for fear of being victimized as a result of communal conflict in the area. At least four people have lost their lives in the conflict. Mourning of the dead started peacefully this morning until indiscriminate gun shorts were heard at Sabongari, a suburb of the Bawku municipality. Speaking to northernghana.com, some residents appealed to government to urgently re-enforce the security in the area so as to forestall further deaths.

The relative calm in the township and its environs, after exchange of fire between Kusasis and Mamprusis that ushered the area into the new year on January 1, 2008, is yet to be consolidated. The timely intervention of a joint police-military operation halted what could have escalated the reported death toll. Apart form the reported death, Stores, kiosks, cars and other vehicles have been burnt among other properties worth millions of Ghana cedis.

The Upper East regional Security Committee (REGSEG) has met leaders of both factions to allow normalcy to reign after which dusk to dawn curfew has been imposed on Bawku and its environs as a measure to maintain sanity in the area. Though security agencies are still investigating the actual cause of the conflict reports gathered by northernghana.com showed that the conflict has been simmering for years now and a minor misunderstanding at a cultural festival triggered the deadly conflict which resulted in death of four people.

Hon. Alhassan Samari, the Upper East Regional Minister and REGSEC Charmian has called for re-enforcement of security from the Northern, Ashanti and Volta regions, while appealing to the conscience of the people to let peace reign in the area.

Northerngahana.com's investigations in the area showed that until the main cause of the conflict and not just the immediate cause is nibbed in the bud the forthcoming general elections is likely to serve as a fertile ground for recurring of the Bawku conflict and the consequences could be even more catastrophic. There is therefore the need for government and the security agencies to effectively handle the situation and flash out all small arms and light weapons that are reported to be hoarded by both sides of the ethnic groups in Bawku and its environs.