Ministerial team presents interim report on Yendi Mission

The ministerial team led by Senior Minister Joseph Henry Mensah has presented an initial report to President John Agyekum Kufuor.

An official statement issued by Mr Jake Obetsebi-lamptey, Minister of Information and Presidential Affairs, said the team met with traditional and opinion leaders of both the Andani and Abudu Gates.

The team, which was in Tamale and Yendi on Good Friday, also met the government officials and members of the security services, including the army commander, the Northern Sector Commander, the Deputy Commander of Police (Operations) and delegations from the Nayiri in Tamale and Yendi.

Accompanying the Senior Minister were Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey, Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Major Courage Quashigah, Minister of Food and Agriculture and Madam Hawa Yakubu, Minister of Tourism.

The statement said the team found that the security services, in the face of overwhelming firepower, had been able to contain the conflict within the immediate vicinity of the Ya-Na's Palace at Yendi thereby preventing the conflict from spreading to other areas.

The statement said they had subsequently established calm in Yendi and imposed a curfew. It said the team found that the traditional and opinion leaders in Tamale had been able to help the security forces to prevent the spread of the conflict to Tamale.

The statement added that every group that met with the team agreed that there was the need for peace in Dagbon and they all volunteered to work towards that objective. Furthermore, the leaders pointed out the need to avoid any provocative acts or inflammatory statements. It was also agreed to treat the wounded and bury the dead, 13 of who were yet to be identified.

A pathology team and forensic experts were sent to Yendi to help establish the causes of death and the identities of the dead and to commence investigations into the event, the statement said, adding that the ministerial team was, however, unable to confirm or deny if any of the bodies was that of the Ya-Na.

It said the team therefore pledged a full investigation into the events that occurred at Yendi and said due process of the law would be allowed to take its course without fear or favour.

Traditional and opinion leaders pledged to work with the president to seek a long-term solution to the problems of Dagbon and bring about a lasting peaceful solution. Twenty-eight people were reported dead and 21 others were injured after three days of clashes between the two factions involved in the Yendi Skin Affair.

The Ya-Na Abdulai Andani, 66, Paramount Chief of the Dagbon Traditional Area, was also killed during the fighting. Nine of the injured are still on admission at the Yendi District Hospital.