'When people know you're from Bawku, they'll be looking at you as if you're carrying bombs' — Muslim group kneel to beg feuding parties

The Ansural Islam Bawku/Mosque building committee are calling for peace to prevail in troubling Bawku in the Upper East Region.

The committee which is made of representatives of the various tribes were visibly on their knees appealing to the feuding parties to stop the gunfight, the needless loss of innocent lives and properties.

The chairman of the Ansural Islam Bawku/Mosque Building Committee, Alhaji Ali Suraju who led the delegation said economic and social activities in the Bawku Municipal have come to a standstill.

Citing the closure of schools, all banks and commercial activities have affected the general wellbeing of the people.

The municipal mosque which started two years ago and is about 80% complete has also been halted due to the conflict.

A representative of the Kusasis, Issifu Asaana, and a member of the Ansural Islam Bawku / Mosque Building committee, said, ''My late father Asaana, when he was alive, he was everywhere preaching about peace to prevail in Bawku by calling for Adua sacrifices for peace without knowing that it will come to be like this. When I was coming from the house, they had to escort me to this place with security, why should it be so? The fight will not help us, so let's always advise our youth whenever they are going out for a fight. We have fought for a very long time and so let's let peace reign."

Abubakar Iddrisu Bawa, a Mamprusi and a Presiding Member of Bawku Municipal also called on the youth most especially the younger ones to ceasefire. "We the youth are leading the fight. Our mothers, fathers, and the elderly are exempted because their future will end soon. Let us embrace peace rather than killing one another when we are destined to die one day. There is no problem without God's solution and so let's peacefully solve it rather than fighting one another with arrows, cutlasses and guns. That will never help."

Yusif Kundimah, a Moshie by tribe said, "Brethren, let's find lasting peace for Bawku. Bawku is a cosmopolitan area which we need to be proud of but now when you are asked where you are coming from many people do not want to mention Bawku because of its volatile nature and even if you mention Bawku, they will be looking at you as if you are carrying bombs. So please let's give peace a chance for the sake of our future children and the development of the area."