CALM RETURNS TO BAWKU MUNICIPALITY (PAGE 23)

Calm returned to the Bawku Municipality yesterday after violent skirmishes at Kariyama lastThursday, which claimed one life and led to the injury of, at least, three others.
In an interview at Bolgatanga yesterday, the Regional Minister, Mr Mark Woyongo told the Daily Graphic that soldiers and police personnel had been deployed to the area and reinforcement was expected to bring the situation under control.
Mr Woyongo, who is also the Chairman of the Regional Security Council (REGSEC), said he had directed the security agencies to ensure that the culture of impunity was dealt with once and for all to bring the recurrent violence in the area under control.
Giving the details of the attack that took place last Thursday, Mr Woyongo said one man went to the animal market at Kariyama on a motor bicycle in the company of another person.
He said an unidentified gunman aimed at the rider but missed the target. Unfortunately the bullet hit the passenger who sat behind him causing injury to his left hand.
As a result of the volatile nature of the area, word quickly went round and soon after there were reprisal attacks. In the process, a 50 year old man was killed while another was shot at the ankle and some others sustained knife wounds.
The regional Minister said the Municipal Security Committee quickly convened an emergency meeting during which a decision was taken to impose a 5 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew on the town.
According to Mr Woyongo, due to an improvement on the security situation in the area, MUSEC had wanted to revert to the normal curfew hours of 12 midnight to 4 a.m.
However, he indicated that the police had received information about the people behind last Thursday’s act and were closing in on them.
Mr Woyongo said a meeting had been scheduled between leaders of both Mamprusis and Kusasis on Tuesday May 5, 2009 to deliberate on the way forward towards securing the fragile peace in the area.
He said they would like to listen to them, but if they think that the curfew should continue, they wouldn’t mind, but if they recommend that we should lift the curfew we will do it and then put the responsibility on them to ensure that we do not go back to those dark days”, Mr Woyongo said.
The Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police, (DCOP), Alhaji Mahama Hamidu said the security agencies had intensified their patrols of the area and were making efforts to arrest all those connected with last Thursday’s disturbances.