You are here: HomeCountry2019 01 04Article 712708

General News of Friday, 4 January 2019

Source: yen.com.gh

Ongoing tribal violence causes destruction to properties in the Northern region

Minister of Interior, Ambrose Dery Minister of Interior, Ambrose Dery

A fight between two tribes, which has escalated to alarming proportions, has caused damage to properties and left may homeless, YEN.com.gh can report.

The clashes started on Tuesday, January 1, 2019, at Nadoni and by the next day, it had spilled over to Nambire and Napak, where Konkombas mistakenly fired at two Chokosis.

The attack sparked violence, though renewed land tension last year has plunged relationship between these two groups to new depths.

There have not been reports of human casualties by the police but locals are giving figures and saying police might not find dead bodies where they are patrolling because the warring factions have taken the exchanges out of the villages into the bush.

As a result, several residents are fleeing downstream to the banks of the Oti River and waiting to cross to Togo.

According to the former District Chief Executive (DCE) for Chereponi and president of the Anufors Association, Hajia Mary Nakobu, the Konkombas are burning their way towards the district capital of the Chokosi villages.

YEN.com.gh understands that the violence has the third day of uninterrupted challenges and has compelled people to stop travelling to the district.

This is because the Chokosis claimed that Konkombas were waiting at Wapuli and planning to stop vehicles and target Chokosi passengers.

Vehicles from Yendi to Chereponi are also refusing to carry passengers as fighting is ongoing on the road from Saboba to the area.

The only option left for people in troubled villages, especially Chokosis is to risk crossing the Oti River to Mongo in Togo.

People from the district capital are not able to travel out, and those from Tamale are extending their stay, while others are getting closer but stopping at Yendi to monitor the violence.

Schools, including the newly commissioned Wapuli Day School, are affected and several villages in the conflict area are without power.

Police officials have disclosed that over 150 houses, about 14 motorbikes, 4 corn mills, 17 bicycles, a tractor machine and large quantity of foodstuffs are damaged completely in the ongoing fight.

They also confirmed that tribesmen of both clans have made inroads from Togo to join in the communal war.

The violence is believed to be spreading from the Chokosis dominated Chereponi district to neighbouring Saboba, the traditional home of the Konkombas.

The Yendi Divisional Police Commander, C/Supt. Peter A.K. Ayirezang has discharged twenty men made up of FPU, Divisional Headquarters personnel and officers from Saboaba and Cheriponi and one Mavri, and a UN Peace Goer supported by armed soldiers.

Bad road and communication network are hampering the flow of intelligence gathering and many residents accusing the security of avoiding troubled communities.