Salifu Saeed talking to the media
The Northern Regional Minister, who doubles as the Northern Regional Security Council (REGSEC) chairman, Salifu Saeed, has disclosed that a special unit from the police and military has been deployed to the Chereponi District to help bring a lasting solution to the intermittent communal violence between Konkombas and Chokosis.
According to him, the special unit would partner with the National Security to do border security checks to prevent persons who frequent the conflict-prone area in the North East Region to perpetrate violence with impunity.
He disclosed that a chopper has been made available for the security to be used for surveillance in the conflict area.
The minister, who visited the area where many people especially women and children had been displaced as a result of the protracted violence, assured the people living within the Chereponi environs that security had been beefed up to protect lives and property in the area.
He cautioned leaders of youth groups from both tribes against utterances which are baseless and inflammatory, adding that what was required of the leadership of both sides at this critical moment was their total support for the efforts being made by security agencies to deal firmly with the situation.
He, however, warned that the security would deal with any miscreants, sponsors and conflict premiers who would want to disturb the peace.
He lamented the setbacks in spite of efforts to bring the situation under control but said they were determined to end the renewed clashes.
He pointed out that a committee was working to ascertain the cause of the current renewed clashes and the recommendations would be strictly implemented. He added that anybody found guilty would be dealt with severely.
He called on leadership of both sides, politicians, non-state actors and youth associations to collaborate with REGSEC to find a lasting solution to the issue.
In the renewed clashes, the police said that three persons had died whilst eight others had been arrested in connection with the violence.
About 22 communities, including farms, had been burnt into ashes in the violence, whilst over 2,000 people had been displaced.
Some affected families have relocated to Saboba, Gushegu, Yunyoo and neighbouring Togo for safety.
FROM Eric Kombat, Tamale