Residents Flee Violence At Dagomba Line Clashes

Hundreds of Dagombas settlers at the Dagomba-Line at the Asokore-Mampong municipality of the Ashanti region have started fleeing the area on Friday following the clash between them and police on Tuesday.

The incident, which left several of them with various degrees of injuries, started when a landowner of the area secured a court order to demolish structures which serve as an abode to squatters.

The settlers were fleeing for their lives when the clash was renewed on Thursday night till Friday morning between the Dagombas and other tribes at the Magema, a combination of different tribes from the northern part of Ghana.

The clash resulted in the injury of military personnel, who were maintaining peace at the area together with the police SWAT team. There were exchanges of bullets and stones between the security personnel and the settlers.

The Dagombas were seen the following day, Friday morning packing their personal belongings into mini vans and trucks heading to Tamale lorry station, according to this reporter who was at the scene. They claim their lives are in danger since the police have failed to protect them.

“When the issue started on Tuesday, the police gave an assurance of protection but that is not what we got. Now some of our houses have been destroyed and others seriously injured. We don’t know what will happens next as there is no protection for us,” a Dagomba man told this reporter.

A wounded man who has his house burnt said “we are going to Tamale to save our lives. Our houses have been destroyed and we have no place to lay our heads, they are even saying we don’t belong here so we should leave, meanwhile, we are all Ghanaians.”

The Tuesday clash happened when the police team was there to ensure that the court order was executed but was resisted by the settlers and attacked the police officers with stones, sticks and other offensive weapons.

Persons involved in the clashes were seen firing gunshots while others held machetes and a reinforcement team of police and military officers were dispatched to the area as structures were set ablaze by the feuding factions.

So far, 128 persons have been arrested in connection with the clashes on Tuesday and Thursday, according to the Manhyia District Police Commander, Chief Supo Ameyaw Afriyie.