Some burnt motorbikes
The Minister for the Interior, Mr. Ambrose Dery, has inaugurated a five-member committee to investigate the clashes between the Chokosis and Konkombas in the Chereponi District of the Northern Region.
The five-member committee is made up of Mr. Patrick Acheampong (former IGP), chairman of the committee; Father Thaddeus Kunsah (Regional Peace Council); Paul Kwasi Ahiakpor (REGSEC); Pastor Azumah Kofi (rep of the Chokosis) and Joshua Yiperl (rep of the Konkombas).
The committee was tasked to identify the causes (both immediate and remote) of the conflict between the Chokosis and Konkombas, to delve into matters incidental to the conflict and to make appropriate recommendations.
The committee is expected to submit its report to the Interior Minister on behalf of government latest by Tuesday, February 12, 2019.
Mr. Dery called on the chiefs and people of the Chokosis and Konkombas to cooperate with the committee to find lasting solutions to the conflict in the area.
According to him, President Akufo-Addo is committed to ensuring that there is peace in the country and every Ghanaian feels safe.
In a speech read by Uchabo Bor on behalf of the Konkomba chiefs, an appeal was made to the Northern Regional Security Council (REGSEC) to release all those arrested at Naduuni and ensure proper investigation is conducted into the circumstances that led to their arrest.
He called on REGSEC to investigate to establish the true ownership of the plot of farms that caused the previous misunderstandings between the two tribes and urged REGSEC to take steps to resettle all the displaced victims as a result of the conflict.
The chiefs and people of the Konkomba tribe assured government that they were peace-loving people and would give peace a chance to settle the misunderstandings.
The Regent of Chereponi Traditional Council, Pastor Jaminja Ndakar said Konkombas and Chokosis are one people because they intermarry and so should not allow small issues to come between them to the extent of fighting each other.
The Chokosis regent noted that in Chereponi, Chokosis and Konkombas live in same houses but they never attacked each other when the conflict happened, saying they are one people. He called on the other communities to embrace ceasefire and give peace a chance.
FROM Eric Kombat, Tamale