Two communities in Upper East under curfew after clashing over land

The Upper East Regional Security Council has imposed a dawn to dusk curfew on the Doba and Kandiga communities in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality following a clash between the two communities over a parcel of land, that resulted in the death of one person.

A joint team of Military and Police personnel have been dispatch to the area to maintain law and order and to avert further clashes.

Several others who were injured and sent to various health facilities for medical attention have been treated and discharged while the dead body has been deposited at the Navrongo War Memorial hospital mortuary for autopsy.

The clash, which was intensified last Friday forced many of the residents in the areas especially women and children to flee to other nearby communities to seek refuge.

Some dry season farms belonging to both sides were set ablaze.

Economic activities of the area where majority of the women sell vegetables such as tomatoes, onions, pepper, carrots and rice for a living were brought to a halt.

About 31people from both sides of the communities who were arrested in connection with the clash and were sent to court on Friday have been remanded into prison custody to give the police ample time to carry out thorough investigations into the case.

The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Kassena-Nankana, Mr WillamAduum told the Ghanaian Times that some dangerous weapons including single barrel andlocally manufactured guns, bows and arrows, catapults and machetes among others were retrieved from the people.

“Because of this conflict, women and children have fled these communities and are living with relatives in Sumbrungu, Vonania, Janania and some even at the Navrongo chief’s palace, so the assembly is meeting to see how best we can help this situation,” he indicated.

The Ghanaian Times gathered the immediate cause of the problem was over the construction of a police post in Kandiga.

According to the people of Doba, the Kandiga people came to settle on their land as settlers and accused them of digging a foundation for the construction of a police post on the parcel of land they have settled on without seeking permission from them.

The Chief of Doba, Naba Ajebsirae Abane, who claimed he was not informed, sent some of his subjects to stop the people from digging the foundation which subsequently led to the clash.