Two confirmed dead in Tamale

Security agencies on Wednesday confirmed that two persons had so far lost their lives following clashes between youths of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Tamale.

Reliable security sources told the Ghana News Agency that military personnel accidentally shot dead a civilian in the wee hours of the day.

The source said a curfew has been imposed in the Dagbon area to forestall the escalation of the conflict, which erupted on Tuesday.

The Minister of the Interior, Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, told reporters earlier in Accra that the curfew would run from 1800 to 0600 hours.

He said he has signed a proclamation for the curfew to be imposed.

A Junior Secondary School graduate was shot dead and his body burnt in renewed clashes between New Patriotic Party (NPP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC) youths in Tamale on Wednesday.

A brother of the deceased told the Police in the presence of the GNA that the victim, Master Gazali Fuseini, 18, was reading when he heard shouts that he was under attack and in an attempt to run away, he was shot by unknown assailants who later set his body ablaze.

Several houses and an NPP campaign van were also burnt.

The cause of the violence was not immediately known but it was believed to be linked to Tuesday's clash between the youth of the two parties.

Business activities in the Tamale Municipality had virtually come to a halt as a result of the confusion with several commuters stranded at the lorry station.

A joint Police/Military team had earlier arrested one Osman Mohammed believed to be among the combatants. During a search on him, they found a talisman, an axe and a knife.

Meanwhile, Parliament on Wednesday unanimously approved a resolution for the re-imposition of the state of emergency in the Dagbon Traditional Area.

The House delayed the commencement of its Public Business for over two hours to pass the resolution and after the debate on it the House again adjourned sitting for another hour following disagreements between the Majority and Minority sides as to the essence of the state of emergency. The vote was 155-0.