Chereponi Clash: I Am Willing To Sacrifice My Son For Peace—Chief

“If because of my son, peace will not come then hold him and let peace come. I know you have exchange peace with my son.”

One of the chiefs in the troubled Chereponi District of the North East Region says he is willing to allow the law to deal with his arrested son for the sake of peace in the area.

John Dranyani, who is the chief of Naja, one of the communities hardest hit in the recent conflict in the region said his son, who was arrested by security operatives on what he calls false charges, should be kept in custody provided it would ensure peace prevails.

The arrest of his son, who doubles as the Assemblyman for the Naja Electoral Area, has heightened tensions in the community on Friday.

The chief even voiced some protest to the arrest saying, “my son that they said he was holding a gun, I don't believe it… how can he shoot a gun? When I was coming to the meeting here, he was at the palace writing a welcome address when he was arrested.”

Following a visit to the area by a high powered inter-ethnic and inter-party delegation led by Defense Minister, Dominic Nitiwul on Friday, the Naja Chief pledged his support to the peace process.

Meanwhile the Defense Minister, Dominic Nitiwul has strongly advised the indigenes of the feuding communities to end the hostilities.

In his message to the Konkombas, he urged them not to “never ever disgrace us.”

“In Chereponi District and Saboba District, today should be the last day we have heard there is any conflict… When you see a Chokosi man embrace him. Don't shoot at him. When a Chokosi man sees a Konkomba man, you are brothers.”

Ahead of the Friday meeting, residents of Chereponi embarked on a demonstration on Thursday to register their displeasure over insecurity in the district occasioned by recurrent clashes between Konkombas and Anufuls.

There has been one death and multiple arrests over recent clashes in the protracted conflict over land in the area.

---citinewsroom