The Eastern Regional Security Council will today visit the troubled Afram Plains area to access the security situation on the ground following the deadly clashes between Fulani nomads and farmers there in recent times.
10 persons have died and about 163 displaced in 12 communities in the revived conflicts between the herdsmen and locals. Schools and health facilities have been shut down. The local economy is at a standstill.
The REGSEC had earlier put forward a proposal for funding to re-launch operation ‘Cowleg’ in the area. Meanwhile, about 85 armed Police officers have been dispatched from the National Police Headquarters to maintain order in the area.
The visit will be led by the Eastern Regional Minister, Eric Kwakye Darfuor, Regional Police Commander, DCOP Simon Afeku, the Regional Crime Officer, BNI, and other security heads in the region.
The National Disaster Management Organization together with the Member of Parliament for the area, Bryan Acheampong last week donated 2 pieces of large poly tank, 80 pieces of student mattresses, 70 pieces of rubber buckets, 30 pieces of polymats, 70 pieces of rubber bowls, 100 pieces of mosquito nets, 150 cups and 150 rubber plates to affected residents.
Other items given were 30 pieces of blanket, 10 bags of 25kg rice, 5 bales of second hand clothing, 5 cartons of washing soap and 5 cartons of mosquito coil to mitigate the plight of the displaced inhabitants mostly farmers from communities such as Mpaemu, Dwerebrease, Obonyam No 1&2, Asesseso , Derkokrom, Asumasu No 1&2 , Atta-ne-Atta, Atuobikrom, Yaw tenkrom and Abotriansa.
Some of the victims who spoke to Starr News said the development is depressing.
“There were sporadic gunshots in my sister’s house nearby, so my husband woke us up to run for our lives, so we run into a bush. We saw that one of my sister’s children, Esther, has been shot in the leg so one of my sisters gathered courage and went into her rescue amidst bleeding, she was on the verge of dying, no car was willing to come to the community to send her to the hospital, so one boy gathered courage and used a tricycle to convey her to Hweehee clinic in the middle of gunfire, the victim was referred to the Atibie hospital after she was stabilized at Hweehwee clinic, so as we speak she is on admission at Atibie, ” she recounted.
Another victim noted: “The Fulani people attacked the community with guns powerful than what the Police uses, I don’t know where they got the guns from, they were shooting so we fled into the bush, they shot at us in the bush two persons were gunned down and we had to run with our wives, children, and grandparents ,why should this happen to us on our own land. Our leaders have disappointed us “.
Source: Ghana/StarrFMonline.com/Kojo Ansah
