Peace In Anlo Paramount To Any Other Consideration At The Moment

The Anlo Youth Council has resolved to go ahead with its planned public demonstration on Republic Day 1st July, 2008 in Anloga the Royal Capital of the Anlo State. The demonstration is being organized to protest the inability of the government, 6 clear months after the event, to institute an independent commission of enquiry to investigate the events of 1 November, 2007, culminating in the murder of 4 citizens by the police as well as the death of a police officer.

This resolve comes in the wake of current illegal attempts by the police authorities to prevent Anlo Youth from exercising our constitutionally guaranteed right to demonstrate, having complied with the mandatory 5 day notice requirement to the police authorities.

In organizing the demonstration on the Republic Day, we wish to highlight the plight of Anlos and show to the world the continued harassment of Anlo citizens and denial of our personal liberties contrary to provisions of our Republican status. There is currently a list of 40 citzens being targeted for arrest under the instructions of DCOP Bernard Guuyiri Dery, a situation we believe has the potential to occasion the outbreak of fresh violence.

Furthermore, we aim to show to the world our unity of purpose and common resolve to bring peace to Anloland. In calling attention to our plight, we believe all other civil and constitutional means have been exhausted to no avail and we have no alternative than to hit the streets as a means of letting Ghanaians know of our plight.

We hereby indicate our readiness to cooperate with the Divisional Command of Police in Anloga as well as the Keta District Command and any clearly neutral security or police officer from the Regional Command. We shall have nothing, however, to do with officers with openly demonstrated party political affiliations and ties with a vested interest in the Anlo conflict.

Again we take this opportunity to once more call for the immediate removal of DCOP Bernard Guuyiri Dery, an officer we believe has severely compromised his position by publicly displaying political biases in contravention of the ethics of his profession.

Finally we wish to remind the Minister of Interior of our previous offer to assist him in any effort he intends to expend in helping resolve the Anlo conflict and thereby bring a lasting peace to the area.

Anlo Youth Council President : Mayor Agbleze 0244-584835