President on the Northern Region Conflict

The President, Flt-Lt Jerry John Rawlings last thursday organised some Gonja farmers here to be sent to their farms at Katanga from where they had been barred by the Konkombas, reports the Ghana News Agency in Accra.

This was during his second day of meetings and consultations with Gonja and Konkomba communities in the East gonja District as a means of restoring peace to the conflict areas of the Nothern Region.

The President was concerned about the extent to which farming activities and development in the area had been affected by the conflict..

Reporters have it that a few days ago, some Gonja decided to take advantage of the rains to cultive their farms at Katanga, but they were chased out by the Konkombas.

The President told the Konkombas at Yakubupe, that they would be held responsible for the lives of the Gonja farmers who had come to work on their farms So would the Gonja be held responsible for the lives of Konkomba who would go to Salaga and the other big towns to either wisit the hospital or trasact business.

He hoped that the Konkombas would give the Gonja water to drink when they want to fram.

"How do we heal the woulds of the past? How do we restore confidence and trust among the various tribes living in this community so that all might live in peace and in an atmosphere of secuirty.

This has been at the centre of all the discussions he had with the here. In what appears to be a situation of accusation and counter accusation, the Konkombas told the President that Gonja were rather the aggressors and cited instances to support theier claim.

President Rawlings told them that the nation was becoming fed up with the protracted conflict in the North and asked them to put their heads together to fi nd a lasting solution to it.

He said the Nothern Region should not expect any budget for development since billions of cedis had been spent in resolving the conflict, including moneys meant for development projects in other regions. He urged them to endeavout to live and fignt for principles, saying "a Konkomba should be able to stand up for a Gonja against another Konkomba when the Gonja is right, and vice-versa".

He advised Konkombas on the ground to write to refute the threats issued by the their tribemen in Accra, since they were those who suffered the reprisals of such threats.