Alavanyo/Nkonya clashes: Police, soldiers engage residents in gun battle

There have been incessant gunshots crying through the two rival communities of Alavanyo and Nkonya in the Volta region since Friday evening.

Residents in these two communities had to stay awake throughout the night yesterday to ward off glaring attacks and to protect lives and properties.

TV3’s Peter Addator who has spent time with the two communities said some unknown persons have climbed a mountain locals there called the “red mountain” in their language, firing gunshots largely targeted at the security personnel on the ground to maintain peace, law and order.

Two residents of Nkonya were shot dead and several others were injured Wednesday evening in what is believed to be renewed clashes between Alavanyo and Nkonya. The two communities have engaged in a fatal land dispute close to a century. The two communities have been under curfew for years.

Clashes there get renewed once the dusk-to-dawn curfew is relaxed, which happened in the case of this week’s gun attack. Peter Addator who was in Nkonya Friday told TV3’s New Day that he heard sounds of gunshots throughout the night.

After interacting with residents and opinion leaders there, he moved to Alavanyo on Saturday where he witnessed over 30 minutes exchanges of gunfire mainly between the soldiers and police deployed there and some assailants hiding in the mountain. No arrest have been made since Wednesday when the two were killed in the area, he gathered from the Regional Police Crime Officer.

There is uneasy calm within the two communities with sporadic shootings raging.