Amadu Hamza, the municipal chief executive of Bawku has appealed to religious groups to step up their effort in bringing lasting peace to the municipality.
It comes barely a day after violence erupted in the area leaving one dead and three others with gun shot wounds.
The MCE has made a passionate appeal to religious bodies to pray for divine intervention as the security services play their part.
“In fact, the recent conflict that has just visited us is something that is very worrying. I entreat the Mallams and pastors in Bawku to keep on praying for lasting peace in Bawku, I know they are doing a lot,” Amadu told Kwaku Nhyira-Addo on The Asaase Breakfast Show on Thursday (17 March).
“And when there is lasting peace, we will have people going about doing their normal businesses. The women and our fathers in the market selling to get their daily bread, will be able to take care of their wards in schools.
“The hospitals that have not been functioning very well, in fact when the peace comes the hospitals will continue to function, they should keep on praying,” he said.
One dead, 18 arrested in fresh Bawku gun attack
The police have confirmed the killing of an 81-year-old man in a fresh gun fight in troubled Bawku in the Upper East Region.
A Divisional police commander, Superintendent Simon Akabati said: “At the moment 18 people have been arrested and they will be put before court tomorrow [Tuesday]. We have beefed up security and we have increased patrols in the township”.
“The curfew is in full force and it is from 8pm to 5am… Once you are caught breaching the laws the security will take you on. We will be doing our job as professionals without fear or favour,” he added.
A long-standing tribal conflict in Bawku has been fueling violence in the area.
No group has claimed responsibility for this latest incident but sources familiar with the development indicate that there is a heavy security presence in the troubled town which shares a border with neighbouring Burkina Faso.
Reactions
Some residents who were caught up in the crossfire said the latest violence erupted around midday and ended around 3:00pm after which it erupted again.
“The deceased is a horse trader and was on his way to provide water to his horse when he was shot dead. In February, a similar incident occurred and another man was killed near a security zone. It appears the security deployment is not doing enough”, a resident told reporters.
“So around 1, soldiers were in town shooting again. Let me say for the people, they are used to it. Today is a market day so everybody has gone back home,” an eyewitness said. “Now we are all indoors. There are fears this could escalate in the night”.
Fred Dzakpata
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