Kumasi, Feb. 23, GNA - Rising tension between the Al-Sunna Muslim an= d Tijaniya sects nearly exploded into nasty confrontation at Aboabo Number Tw= o in Kumasi on Thursday but for the swift response of the police. The presence of heavily armed policemen averted what would have been a bloody clash, triggered by an alleged unsavoury remarks made by a leader of one of the sects during an Islamic religious programme on a local radio station in Kumasi.

Relationship between members of the two sects in the Ashanti Region ha= s been strained. Police Chief Inspector Mohammed Tanko of the Regional Police Public Affairs Unit, who confirmed the incident to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said they had detailed enough men to the area to ensure peace and order. He said the police would continue to maintain strong presence and patrol the area to prevent any breaches of the law. Police Chief Inspector Tanko urged restraint and counselled against pronouncements and provocations likely to fuel confusion and worsen the situation.

When the GNA visited the Aboabo Number Two mosque, heavily armed polic= e personnel were seen patrolling the area.