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SECURITY

Military Retrieve Arms in Bawku

The Security Personnel maintaining peace in the Bawku Area has retrieved a number of unlicensed sophisticated weapons believed to have been used in the recent violent clashes in the area.

Date Created : 5/7/2008 12:00:00 AM : Story Author : GNA

They include nine AK47 with 90 rounds of ammunition, one ASM, one G3, one SLF, and one locally manufactured gun and cartridges.

This came to light at a Press Conference organized by the Military on Tuesday to give a situation report about the current conflict which erupted in Bawku last Sunday.

Captain Victor Abbey in-charge of operations, Airborne Force Bawku Unit and Mr. Peter Mawong, Divisional Police Command of the Bawku Municipality in their report stated that three people were shot dead and one beheaded on Monday.

They stated that many houses in Pusiga, Garu and Binduri were burnt down as a result of the violence.

They indicated that 72 suspects alleged to be involved in the violence were currently under police custody pending court procedure.

One Cargo and an Albion truck were also burnt down by unidentified people.

Lieutenant-Colonel Ike Awuah Mantey, the Commander of the Airborne Force entreated workers who were planning to flee from the area to stay since the Security Personnel had taken full control of the situation.

He noted that 70 military personnel and 30 police personnel had been deployed in the area to beef up the security situation and expressed optimism that the situation would be brought under control soon.

Lt.-Col. Mantey said the leadership of the feuding factions had approached him to inform him that they were now fed up with the conflict and would do everything possible to help bring the situation under control.

He appealed to the feuding factions to use dialogue to solve their differences instead of resorting to conflicts that set development backwards.

Pursuing unnecessary conflicts would consistently set the development agenda in your area backwards. Government has spent huge sums of monies which should have gone to develop the area instead of maintaining peace.

He noted that the trouble causers had adopted new strategies by using unlicensed motorbikes in their nefarious activities, saying that the Security Personnel had taken notice and would deal with the situation.

He warned that anybody or group of people who would want to challenge the Military in the execution of their duty to maintain peace in the area would be dealt with and appealed to the general public, especially traditional authorities, politicians and opinion leaders to collaborate with the military to maintain peace.

He cautioned people who would want to take advantage of the Bawku conflict to mar the upcoming general elections to desist from that since the Military had already prepared for that.

Meanwhile, Bawku township remained quiet during the day.