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15.10.2004 General News

Boakye Djan to bury brother killed under PNDC

15.10.2004 LISTEN
By GYE NYAME CONCORD

RETIRED ARMY Major (Rtd) Boakye Djan is expected in town this month for the final burial rites of the late Kyeremeh Djan, his younger brother, who was executed under the PNDC military junta.

Gye Nyame Concord has gathered that Boakye Djan, who tragically lost his 35-year-old daughter in London a fortnight ago, may also take the opportunity to pay last respects to the daughter.

Sources say the Omanhene of the Drobo Traditional Area, Nana Beyeman Bosea Gyenanatwi IV and the Abuo, Anno and Abrofo families have consequently declared a week of mourning at Drobo in the Jaman South District of the Brong Ahafo Region for the reburial of Kyeremeh Djan, and to observe a memorial for key indigenes of the area who died during the PNDC-NDC rule.

Individuals for whom the memorial would be held for are the late Nana Kofi Djan, Abuokromhene and father of Boakye and Kyeremeh; Nana Kwaku Sawiri and Nana Kwame Mensah of the Drobo Traditional Area. The two men were Abrofohene of Asuogya and Annohene of Konsia respectively in the Drobo Traditional Area and uncles of Boakye Djan.

According to the declaration by the Omanhene, mourning in the community begins on Monday, 25 October, 2004 and ends on November 1.

Kyeremeh Djan would be re-buried with appropriate customary rites almost 18 years after he was executed under the PNDC regime and buried in a mass grave.

Kyeremeh, then a mathematics and computer science student at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), joined the students' leadership of the time to oppose the PNDC junta until he was declared wanted “dead or alive” and fled into exile.

On his return from exile in October '85, he and other colleagues, including Mawuli Goka, a UK-based university student, were arrested on suspicion of plotting to overthrow the PNDC.

They were later executed and buried in unmarked graves in 1986 after undergoing extreme torture sessions. He was aged 29 at the time.

Hi body, with that of Mawuli and others, were recovered and handed over to their family in response to a petition his family sent to the National Reconciliation Commission in August last year.

Kyeremeh is survived by a daughter, Miss Evelyn Djan, who is currently an undergrad at his father's alma mater, KNUST.

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