Armed Soldiers in Damongo after youth clash with charcoal taskforce

The proposed capital of the yet to be created Savanna Region, Damongo, is already in turmoil after clashes between two rival youth groups broke out Friday afternoon following a confusion over environmental degradation that has left one person with deep cutlass wounds.

Tensions had been spreading in the town after a group of young men in a communal service formed a coalition to clampdown on illegal logging and charcoal burning, which is causing damage of enormous proportions to the environment.

A counter group was also formed to challenge the authority of the taskforce after accusations of corruption and extortion and has been rebelling against their activities.

The tensions spiraled out of control two days ago after some unidentified men opened fire on a truck carrying charcoal from the bush.

The situation further escalated and violence erupted on the town’s street Friday when members of the taskforce attacked a rival member and butchered him.

Residents who witnessed the escalation told Starr News that more than 200 youth poured onto the streets wielding guns and brandishing machetes and cudgels, threatening to shed blood.

A swift intervention by the insufficient local police officers, according to the witnesses, prevented what would have been the deadliest clashes between these Gonjas who are already shapely divided along chieftaincy and political lines.

The West Gonja Municipal Chief Executive, Seed Muhazu Jabril, confirmed the scuffle and disclosed that a reinforcement of about 20 armed police and military combatants were currently patrolling the municipal capital, already a regional chieftaincy flashpoint.

The Chief Executive, who was attending a workshop in the capital, said he was informed about the incident by his police commander and decided to strengthen security to avoid outbreak of a full blown skirmish.

He identified the local taskforce as “Coalition of Concerned Youth” and suggested he was aware of their existence in the municipal.

According to him, the coalition came to his office some three months ago to discuss their plans to contributing to the fight against rampant illegal logging of rosewood and charcoal burning in the area. Muhazu Jubril said after listening to them he gave his “blessings” but asked them to consolidate support from the Yagbonwura Tutumba Sulemana Jakpa Boresa I, overlord of the Gonja Traditional Area.

“Little did we know that it has chieftaincy undertones, the MCE said, adding that, the two groups were aligned to chieftaincy factions in the area.

Two individuals from the same royal gate have laid competing claims to the Damongo skin and intermittent violence have persisted between their supporters since 2016. One recognized by the Yagbonwura and the other by Kingmakers of the traditional area, the two groups had even clashed over charcoal royalties. And after nearly two years of relaxed tensions in the town, it appears the factions have found another lightening rod to rekindle fresh hostilities.

“This morning ….in fact, the genesis of the problem is that, they (taskforce) beat up one of the youth and they (counter youth) reported an assault case to the police, but they couldn’t make the arrest because the situation was volatile. If they had made the arrest, it will turn out to be something bloody”, the MCE said.

“So we were trying manage the situation until today again” he added. “I was told about two days ago the youth (unidentified) went and shot the tyre of a car loading charcoal, and so today again, they clashed beating each other with cudgels here and there; so that prompted me to call the military and police”, Jibril explained what triggered the violence.

The MCE said he was going to keep the reinforcement as long as he could until the situation completely normalizes. He said an emergency Municipal Security Council meeting would be convened Saturday to discuss the incident.