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06.02.2009 Regional News

N/R Security Committee visits conflict area in Bunkpurugu/Yunyoo

06.02.2009 LISTEN
By GNA

The Northern Regional Security Committee has paid a visited to the Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo Constituency to get first-hand information on a conflict between the Bauk and Tamung clans, which erupted on Tuesday.

Briefing the Northern Regional Security Committee at Bunkpurugu, Second Lieutenant Daniel Osae Brown, Officer in charge of the security deployed to the area, said the remote cause of the conflict was a dispute between the chiefs of Sanbilouk and Sayeegu over who had the authority over a parcel of land between the two communities.

He said last year, the Sayeegu chief wanted to build a house for his son on that piece of land, but the chief of Sanbilouk requested for customary drinks before he would release the land for the project.

He said the demand did not go down well with the chief of Sayeegu who thought he was the custodian of that land and this resulted in the dispute, whose settlement was still pending before the chief of Bunkupurgu.

Second-Lieutenant Brown told the Security Committee that a dispute between a man and wife on Tuesday degenerated into the conflict between the Sayeegu village where the wife comes from and Sanbilouk, the man's home-town

The wife was said to have picked up a quarrel with the husband but the husband's brothers took over the quarrel and beat her up.

She therefore reported the matter to her people resulting in the clash, in which Madam Tonjo Konlan, an 80-year-old woman died and four persons were injured while 69 houses were burnt.

Second-Lieutenant Brown said the security personnel detailed to the area from Tamale had managed to ensure calm, adding that women and children were returning to the village, but called for a continued stay of the security to patrol the area until it returned to normalcy.

The Northern Regional Police Commander, Mr Ofosu Mensah Gyeabour said sophisticated weapons including AK47, AA, and G3 rifles were used in the conflict and called on the security deplored in the area to be vigilant and retrieve all the arms.

Mr Gyeabour, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, urged the people to cooperate with the security personnel to bring the culprit to book.

Mr Joseph Dasana, the Northern Regional Coordinating Director assured the personnel that the Coordinating Council and the Bunkpurugu District Assembly would provide the necessary logistics to help boost their morale.

Mr Dasana told the people that posterity would judge them if they failed to create an environment conducive for their children to access education.

Mr. Duut Emmanuel Kwame, Member Parliament for the area, thanked the security for the swift response to the conflict and called for a concerted effort to prevent any recurrence in future.

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