One dead in renewed land dispute at Lukula - Regional Minister confirms

Correspondence from Savannah Region

A renewed land dispute between Gonjas and Mamprusis has left one person dead at Lukula in the North Gonja District of the Savannah Region.

The victim reports say is a chief from Jang in the Jang Traditional Area of the Mamprugu Traditional Council in the North East Region.

The unfortunate event occurred in the early hours of today, Thursday, June 1 at Mempeasem and Lukula.

The Savannah Regional Minister, Saeed Muhazu Jibril who confirmed the incident said the chief died as a result of today's clash.

"The Regional police commander only told me that one person died in today's unfortunate clash and he is a chief from Jang of the Mamprugu side", he said in response to the alleged killing of seven persons in the clash.

According to him, rumors about today's clash between the two tribal groups gained momentum in the last two days but broke loose today leading to the destruction of properties worth thousands of cedis.

On what occasioned the dispute and the history behind it, he explained that the Wasipe Traditional Council of Gonja and the Jang Traditional Area of Mamprugu are claiming ownership of the disputed land which have the Lukula and Mempeasem communities situated there.

He however stressed that, the two communities administratively falls under the North Gonja District of the Savannah Region and "there's no dispute about that".

"The only dispute we have is about the two Traditional Areas, the Jang Traditional Area located in the North East Region and the Wasipe Traditional Area located in the North Gonja District in the Savannah Region".

"These two Paramountcies claimed that those communities belongs to them and for that matter, they have to enskinned their chiefs in those two communities and that is how this dispute begun", he explained.

The situation he said has forced residents of the two communities to take cover in other communities for fear of their lives leaving the aged and vulnerable behind.

He revealed that a joint security personnel from the North East and Savannah Regions deployed to the scene have brought the situation under control.

Background

Clashes have been going between the two tribal groups for some time now over Lukula with each group claiming ownership of the community as part of their lands.

It begun in 2019 after alleged attempts by the Wasipe Traditional Council of the Gonja Kingdom to enskin a chief to supercede over the community.

The rivalry in the past has left properties worth millions of cedis destroyed.