News

Youth urge Gov’t to tighten security in Chereponi

• By EDMOND GYEBI
• March 18, 2019
• 29

A group calling itself the Chereponi Youth for Peace (CYP) is calling on Government to deploy more police and military personnel to Chereponi and its environs to prevent Konkombas from further attacking and victimizing the Anufors (Chokosis) in the area. 

According to the group, the Anufors who are the minority are surrounded by the majority Konkombas from three of the four major cardinal entry points who easily attack from all those directions. Adding that, the Konkombas from Saboba, Kunjul, Wapuli, Bonbong Nayili, Gbintiri, Yunyuo, Nabuli, Gbingbandi and Pabuni if measures were not taken are likely to attack the Anufors. 

The Chereponi Youth for Peace in a statement signed by its Secretary, Sulemana A.S Frinjei and copied to WatchGhana.Com, appealed to the National Executives of the Konkomba Youth Association (KOYA) to desist from engaging in media propaganda, get to the grounds and tell their people (Konkombas) to ceasefire. 
 
“Once again the Chereponi Youth for Peace (CYP) is calling on KOYA to desist from the media propaganda and let us join forces to call our people for a ceasefire. KOYA is very much aware of the scattered locations of their people who are moving into Chereponi to help their colleagues fight the Anufors. We therefore ask KOYA to rather get to the grounds at all the points from Saboba, Kunjul, Wapuli, Bonbong Nayili, Gbintiri, Yunyuo, Nabuli, Gbingbandi and Pabuni to tell the people to ceasefire”. 

The group regretted how Chereponi which was just added to the newly created North East Region was being given a bad name. The Concerned Youth therefore called on all sons and daughters of the area to call for peace, preach peace and also help restore peace among Anufors and Konkombas in Chereponi and Ghana at large. 

A fight broke out between Konkombas and Anufors in the Chereponi District on 15th and 16th of March, 2019 leading to exchanges of guns and burning of houses. This is believed to an escalation of a recent violence in the area that occurred on the 6th March 2019. The area is currently under curfew and security beefed up by Government to avert further escalation of violence.

Meanwhile, the National President of the Konkomba Youth Association (KOYA), Charles Nyoja when contacted by WatchGhana.Com said the leadership of KOYA fully supports any call towards peaceful resolution of the conflict between Konkombas and the Chokosis. 

He was however confused as to why the Chokosis (Anufors) whom he said are the main perpetrators of all the shootings and burning of communities are those turning around to call on Konkombas to ceasefire. 

The KOYA President accused the Anufors of burning down close to 19 communities of the Konkombas within the last three days and that three of their people were also feared dead so far. 

Mr. Nyoja who commended the security for calming down the tensions in the area, appealed to the Northern Regional Security Council to extend their security patrol to the Konkomba communities to prevent further attacks from the Chokosis. 

Also in an interview with the National President of the Anufor Progressive Union (APU), Hon. Hajia Mary Nakobu she declared the full support of the Union members to the call by the Chereponi Youth for Peace. According to her, the conflict situation in Chereponi between the Anufors and Konkombas had left her sleepless and worried.

“Why won’t I support it? As a mother and former DCE for Chereponi, I am worried about the whole issue. It is unfortunate this has happened, but we have to make a headway. Poverty and underdevelopment should be our enemies. We should not fight among ourselves”. 

Hon. Hajia Nakobu asserted that the conflict had led to the burning of a lot of farm produce and other properties, and appealed to the parties to respect the peace in the area.

Source: WatchGhana.Com/Akyereba Kwabena