We’re living in fear over violence in Bawku – Residents

Residents of Bawku in the Upper East Region are pleading with the government to work assiduously to end the brutalities and bring peace to their communities.

Renewed clashes between the two feuding factions in the Bawku conflict have resulted in the loss of lives and properties destroyed.

Speaking on Starr News with Naa Dedei Tettey the residents said the situation is getting out of hand and they are living in fear and panic as the number of deaths recorded in the past few days is worrying.

“I am very down; I can’t explain why these people are doing that. This is the situation we find ourselves in today, so we realized that we need to call on some of you to call on the government to call a spade a spade. It got to a time when they said they wanted to celebrate their “Damba” festival.

“The Paramount Chief of Bawku said they should allow them to perform the festival. Everyone accepted and allowed them to perform the festival peacefully. As I am speaking to you now the “Samanpiid” festival is coming on the 30th of December and these people have started. They said they would never understand why we should perform the festival, that is what is happening now,” a resident, Issah Mumuni narrated.

He said innocent lives are being taken as a result of the gun shootings each day and no one is being held accountable for it.

“An innocent old man like this, because the man didn’t do anything. Nobody said anything against anybody and all of a sudden, they rushed to that place and killed the old man. What we are hearing today is that they want to make sure that there will be killing all over the town so the samanpiid festival cannot come off. That is what we are hearing for now,” he added.

According to him, the brutalities being perpetrated by hoodlums and bandits but because the soldiers do not know the area too well they are having difficulty despite their efforts.

“The soldiers are trying their best. But the fact is that they are new to the town, most of them don’t know the area. At a point in time, they will start shooting in a particular area and the soldiers will move there then it will occur in a different direction. Before you realize the Mamprusi will be able to identify that these people are soldiers so they quickly run back. The soldiers will come and take over and the other Kusasi will also be at a disadvantage,” he said.

Mr. Issah Mumuni also bemoaned why no arrest has been effected “as at now no one has been arrested but there is heavy security in the town. Residents have chosen to remain indoors. Because when they start shooting stray bullets might hit them from any direction.

“So, you have to save yourself first. There are no economic activities going on, nothing is happening in Bawku. You cannot go anywhere to do anything. You have to be indoors and even when you are indoors you are not even safe. Because you can’t guarantee your security since the criminals sneak into people’s houses and kill them.”