Danger in Dagbon

The situation in the Dagbon Traditional Area in Northern Ghana seems to be getting worse in spite of the heavy presence of security forces in the area.

“Information reaching the Gye Nyame Concord suggests that a silent tension is simmering in the region, with reported stockpiling of factions gunning for the headship of the ancient kingdom.

Intelligence information gathered by this paper also suggests that the security apparatus recently indicated that there was alleged stockpiling of arms and ammunition at Yendi.”

“A security report to president Kufuor currently flying within media houses in Accra and sighted by the paper also noted that warriors of one of the two factions (name withheld) were June this year stockpiling arms in anticipation of an attack from the other faction.

Live ammunition as well as an SMG rifle were recently also recovered from one of the leadership of the gates following which sources say national security recommend a cordon and search exercise to head off any crisis in the once peaceful but now troubled kingdom.”

Curiously, the pro-NPP Statesman newspaper last week also quoted the Special Aide to former president Rawlings as having warned that the situation in Yendi was fluid and could see the beginning of a “civil war” in the country.

Barely two months ago, warnings of possible disruption of the peace in the Tolon area during the celebration of the DAMBA festival were fired off to the president following the reported return of the Tolon Regent, Major (Rtd) Abubakar Sulemana, to the area.

Subsequent information also suggested that there was a stalemate over the proposed reconstruction of the Gbewaa Palace by government, between the Andanis and Abudus.

The two gates were reportedly pitched against each other over who should have priority over the reconstruction of the Palace. While the Andanis, reports indicate, wanted the Palace reconstructed according to the directives of the Kuga-Na, acting Overlord of the Dagbon Traditional Area and head of the grandfather clan of the two gates, indications were that the Abudu gate wanted the Palace rehabilitated at the same site and not reconstructed.

This dispute, together with another dispute over ownership of the Palace, is said to have stalemated negotiations between the two gates and Kuga-Na in Kumasi in June, compelling the committee of eminent chiefs that called the meeting to send a delegation led by lawyer E.D. Mahami to meet the headship of the Abudu and Andani gates to resolve the matter.

Information filtering in from Tamale also suggest that after the Accra High Court presided over by Mr. Justice Yaw Appau last month acquitted and discharged Iddrisu Gyanfo and Yidana Sugri, the alleged assassins of Ya-Na Yabuku Andani II, events in the mucipality pointed to evidence that the situation was fluid.

At the last sittings of the Tamale High Court trying eight people who were alleged to have caused rioting and arson in the municipality during the last disturbances, there was much tension at the premises of the court.

The security agents, sources say, had it difficult performing a yeoman’s job of controlling the large angry crowd, who cursed the judge and the government for keeping the people in remand.

So tense was the situation that the security forces could not bring the accused persons into the courtroom, sources say.

Then came the issue of the inauguration of the government transport system in Tamale. Days after the inauguration, the security forces responded to an allegation that some people in the municipality wanted to burn down buses by rounding people up.

The latest of the security threat is over allegations that a section of the feuding factions are having secret meetings during curfew hours to stage violence again.

Meantime, a Ghana News report Saturday said the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has said that it would boycott the 2004 presidential elections if the elections were postponed in the Dagbon Traditional Area.

“The people of Dagbon were excluded from participating in the District Assembly elections as a result of the State of Emergency, but as a party, we would not accept any excuses again to exclude them from the general elections,” NDC’s Youth Organiser, Harruna Iddrisu said in Accra.

“Any elections that would be conducted in Ghana without the people of Dagbon cannot be said to be national elections and we as a party would not be partakers”, he said.

Mr. Iddrisu, a lawyer, was launching his party’s new membership card at Ablekuma Central Constituency in Accra.

He urged the government to adopt new broad-based and transparent measures for the resolution of the conflict. He said the NDC as a democratic political party is ready to continue to offer constructive advise to government, but “if they fail to listen to sound reasoning for the resolution of the Dagbon conflict before 2004, and as a result the elections were postponed, we will boycott it and call for an Interim Government to resolve the crisis.”

Mr. Iddrisu repeated the party’s call on government through the security agencies to open fresh investigations into the assassination of Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II, Paramount Chief of Dagbon and 29 others in March last year. Iddrisu said; “the acquittal and discharge of the two prime suspects in the Yendi affair has provoked fresh calls on the NPP government to tell Ghanaians, who then are to blame for the Yendi tragic event.”

The Youth Organiser said the NDC’s position should not be misconstrued that the party is trying to sabotage the 2004 elections we are irrevocably committed to upholding the constitutional order, sustaining multi-party democracy and preserving the country's peace.