Two killed in Bole chieftaincy clashes

One more person has been gunned down and many schools remain shut following intensified gunfire exchanges between chieftaincy factions in Bole in the Northern Region.

The fight is between supporters of two individuals of the same royal family who have laid claim over the Bole skin.

It started yesterday morning after an attempted parallel enskinment by both factions.

Tensions began to gather last Friday night as the funeral rites of the late Bolewura was being performed.

There were reports of a mass arrival of armed men (warriors) from Damongo and Busunu.

Shortly after their arrival, the report said several gunshots were heard from the directions of the rival chiefs.

Our checks indicated that one person named Jacob was killed and multiple persons, including two sons of one of the feuding chiefs, suffered severe gunshot injuries.

The latest casualty was yet to be identified as available reports indicated that he was hit in the sporadic exchanges.

The District Chief Executive, Madam Veronica Alele, our sources said, left the town to Tamale, ostensibly, to report the disturbances to the regional minister and security council.

“I’m on my way to Tamale. I left the place early and cannot tell what happened at my back even though I know about the chieftaincy issue,” she told journalists.

An eyewitness, also an assemblyman, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said schools in his electoral area were refusing to open their classrooms for lessons.

Tensions have been simmering in Bole for months now after a symbolic ruling by a judicial council of the regional house of chiefs on the prolonged chieftaincy misunderstanding in Mandari, an important nearby community within the traditional area, where chiefs automatically ascend to the Bole Skin upon vacancy.

Two royal individuals, who are all members of the Safope gate, laid claims to the Mandari skin and confusion broke in June last year over the rightful candidate of the Bole skin, after the Chief, Bolewura Awuladese Pontomprong Mahama (II), died.

There were reports of violent lockdown and escalating squabbles among supporters of Abdalai Issahaku Kant and his rival brother, Abubakari Abutu, forcing a deployment of armed forces to the district capital.

The latter had been allegedly appointed by the late chief of Bole as the rightful candidate for the Mandari skin, but the Yagbonwura, overlord of the entire traditional area, allegedly refused to give his blessing and rather settled on the former, which sparked the dispute.

The tension last month forced the Northern Regional Security Council to place an injunction on all traditional activities in the area including the funeral of the late Bolewura.