Residents flee Nkwanta conflict as military and police patrol streets

Approximately 200 people have fled from Nkwanta to Pampawie, Ahamansu, and other destinations in the Kadjebi District following renewed conflict in Nkwanta, the capital of the Nkwanta South Municipal Assembly.

Kadjebi, which borders the Nkwanta Municipality, has become a safe haven for displaced residents seeking refuge from the violence.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Madam Agnes Afua Obour, a linguist and opinion leader at Pampawie, said, “Our kinsmen who are distressed due to the situation have reached out for support to return home. We transferred money to some to facilitate their movement with many arriving late Friday.”

She emphasised that the situation in Nkwanta was serious and urged that all hands be on deck to find a lasting solution.

Assemblyman for the Ahamansu Electoral Area, Hussein Abdulai, told GNA that people arrived in Ahamansu on Thursday, Friday, and even Saturday.

He stated that he was recording their details and would furnish a report with the list of people fleeing the troubled zone to Ahamansu.

An eyewitness in Nkwanta, who requested anonymity, reported that the trouble began when a group of people went to the cemetery to bury a relative. During the burial, unidentified armed men appeared and started firing.

The eyewitness added, fortunately, they had already burned the dead, so, they ran away unhurt.

According to reports received by GNA, seven people have been killed, and eight houses and shops have been set ablaze.

The Kadjebi District Coordinating Director, Cletus Chevure, said he had not yet received official information about refugees arriving in the Kadjebi District.

Superintendent of Police Frank Nana Asomaning, Kadjebi District Police Commander, also noted that while he had not received official information, he had heard reports of people fleeing Nkwanta to other areas for safety.

The Nkwanta township and its streets have been deserted, with the only noticeable activity being the patrols of military and police detachments.

The once-bustling streets are now empty, with the sound of military and police vehicles breaking the eerie silence.

Military personnel, who arrived in armoured vehicles, have taken strategic positions throughout the township, with some patrolling the streets.

Speaking anonymously, some residents expressed mixed feelings about the military’s arrival. While some welcomed their presence, hoping it would bring an end to the violence, others were skeptical, fearing it might lead to human rights abuses.

The GNA team observed several pregnant women, some visibly distressed, navigating through bushes in a desperate attempt to escape the violence.

One pregnant woman, Madam Serwaa Afia Twumasi, tearfully told GNA, “I’m scared for my life and the life of my unborn child.”

The conflict in Nkwanta is rooted in a long-standing dispute over ownership of the township among the Akyode, Adele, and Challa ethnic groups, perpetuating the ongoing violence.