Government
has imposed curfew on Bole and its environment in the Northern Region
following the outbreak of violence in the town arising from chieftaincy
dispute.

The renewed chieftaincy dispute has led to the death of two persons with several others injured from gun wounds.

The
fighting is between supporters of two individuals of the same royal
family who have laid competing claims over the Bole skin.  It sparked
Monday morning after an attempted parallel enskinment by both factions.

Tensions
began to gather on Friday night as the funeral rites of the late
Bolewura was being performed.  There were reports of a mass arrival of
armed men (warriors) from Damongo and Busunu. Shortly after their
arrival, the report said, several gunshots were heard from the
directions of the rival chiefs.

A
statement signed by the Interior Minister Ambrose Dery announcing the
curfew said the decision was taken on the advice of the Northern
Regional Security Council and that it takes effect 6:00pm to 6 am
effective, Monday 10 December, 2018.

Calling
on the Chiefs, Elders, Opinion  Leaders, Youth and people of the area
to exercise restraint in the face of the challenges confronting  them as
well as to use non-violent  means to channel their  energies into
ensuring peace, the  statement
added “there is a total  ban on all persons in the afore-mentioned
communities and its environs  from  carrying  arms, ammunition or any
offensive  weapon  and any persons found with  any arms or ammunition
will be arrested  and prosecuted.”

Tensions
have been simmering in Bole for months now after a symbolic ruling by a
judicial council of the Regional House of chiefs on the prolonged
chieftaincy misunderstanding in Mandari, an important nearby community
within the Traditional Area, where chiefs automatically ascend to the
Bole Skin upon vacancy.

Two
royal individuals, who are all members of the Safope gate, laid claims
to the Mandari skin and confusion broke in June last year over the
rightful candidate of the Bole skin, after the chief, Bolewura Awuladese
Pontomprong Mahama (II) died.

There
were reports of violent lockdown and escalating squabbles among
supporters of Abdalai Issahaku Kant and his rival brother, Abubakari
Abutu, forcing a deployment of armed forces to the district capital.

The
latter had been allegedly appointed by the late chief of Bole as the
rightful candidate for the Mandari skin, but the Yagbonwura, overlord of
the entire traditional area, allegedly refused to give his blessing and
rather settled on the former, which sparked the dispute.

The
tensions last month forced the Northern Regional Security Council to
place an injunction on all traditional activities in the area including
the funeral of the late Bolewura.

Source: ultimatefmonline.com