Savannah Region: One dead, four injured after communal violence

At least one person is feared dead and four others wounded after communal violence broke out Thursday evening between two rival groups at Lakula near Daboya in the Savannah Region.

An eye witness in Mankarigu, a nearby community, confirmed to Joy News that the violence was triggered by a misunderstanding over the construction of a mosque.

Details of the violent disturbance were still unfolding but multiple sources told Joy News that, shootings started after some young men transporting blocks to the village for the mosque project were resisted.

Three of the injured victims have been treated and discharged and one has been referred to Walewale, a staff at Mankarigu health centre has also confirmed to Joy News.

An official at the health centre, who refused to be named, said the victim who was referred suffered skull fracture and was in serious condition.

“We have received four casualties and one has been referred to Walewale. The ones we’re attending are cutlasses but I heard there was a gunshot but I didn’t see it”, according to the health staff,

“His own… it seems it has even gotten to the skull, so we said it’s beyond our level, but we were able to manage for them to move further,” the anonymous health official said.

Residents of this village have been shapely divided after the creation of the Savannah and North East Regions.

Originally, under the North Gonja district of the Savannah Region, some residents of Lukula and several others in the area, including Mankarigu, have been protesting to join the West Mamprusi municipal in the North East Region.

Over 40 communities more, all inhabited by minority tribes including Tamplumas the Tamplumas, are in this protest to be added to the North East Region.

Tensions have escalated in recent months between the Gonjas in Daboya and Mamprusis in the Sor Traditional area in Walewale after the chief of Daboya attempted to install chiefs in some of the communities already occupied by Mamprusi chiefs.

It became a full-blown territorial dispute between the Yagbonwura and Naayiri two months ago after a meeting with a Gonja delegation at the Naayiri’s palace in Nalerigu ended inconclusively.

Residents who are protesting to join the North East Region cite social, political and economic deprivations but the Gonjas maintain the land belonged to them and would not accept any breakaway.

Source: Myjoyonline.com