PEACE IN BAWKU TO BE PUT TO TEST (D/G, Thursday, April 9, 2009. CENTRE SPREAD)

The relative peace prevailing in the Bawku Municipality of the Upper East Region will be put to test today, when the chiefs and people of the Bawku Traditional Area observe their annual Samanpiid festival.
The Samanpiid festival, which is celebrated by the Kusasis between November and December every year, has in the past been marred by some of the most violent clashes in the area.
Its significance is to give thanks to God for a good harvest and provide a platform for the discussion of the social and economic challenges facing the people.
It, however, had to be postponed on more than two occasions due to the recurrent violence in Bawku and security concerns.
The last time the festival was celebrated on December 31, 2007, it was marred by a violent clash between the Mamprusis and Kusasis in what was then believed to have been sparked by an armed robbery incident allegedly carried out by Fulani herdsmen.
Since then, the government had on several occasions imposed a curfew on the town in addition to the deployment of more police and military personnel there to help maintain law and order.
Currently, the town is under a midnight to 4 a.m. curfew. There is also a ban on the carrying of arms and ammunition in the town and its environs.
A number of lives have been lost and property worth several thousands of Ghana cedis destroyed in the recurrent clashes in the area.
The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Mark Woyongo, in an interview with the Daily Graphic said all the necessary precautions had been taken to ensure that the festival is celebrated without any incident.
Mr Woyongo, who is also the Chairman of the Regional Security Council (REGSEC), said security in Bawku had been beefed up with the deployment of more police and military personnel.
He said as part of the efforts to ensure that the peace in the area is not derailed, REGSEC had demarcated some routes to be used by the people who would be travelling from the various villages to the durbar grounds at the Bawku Community Centre.
“These routes will be policed by the security agencies to ensure that nothing untoward happens”, Mr Woyongo said.
The regional minister said apart from that, a lot of education had been embarked on. That included a directive to the municipal assembly and the Information Services Department to educate the people in the area not to resort to any provocative acts that might disturb the peace.
“I have met the Bawku Naba a couple of times and so far the Bawku Naba has been very co-operative. Similarly, the Regional Police Commander has also met him and the response had been very positive”, he said.
The Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Hamidu Mahama, who also spoke to the Daily Graphic said apart from the police personnel from the Rapid Deployment Force who would be deployed to the festival area, some personnel would also be stationed at vantage points in the town to prevent any violent acts.