Chereponi: Government to smoke out owners of firearms as temporary ceasefire is secured

Factions in the raging conflict in Chereponi have agreed to a temporary ceasefire, after many years of bloodshed, destruction to property and displacement of thousands in the area.

The Konkombas and Chokosi tribes have frequently waged war against each other over a small piece of land in the poverty-stricken district.

Clashes there last month displaced some 1, 860 residents, according to the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO).

In the latest clashes, police have recorded two deaths and many people have fled the town due to fear of being caught in the exchange of gunshots.

But Joy News is learning that a temporary ceasefire agreement had been reached between government and the feuding factions.

Government’s attention now is how to retrieve firearms from residents and identify the individuals or groups financing the conflict.

At the heart of the conflict in Chereponi and other areas in the north, is firearms.

As peasant farmers, many have wondered how they are able to purchase sophisticated weaponry for the conflicts but many believe they are being sponsored.

Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul, has assured that these persons will be found out, arrested and prosecuted for their role in the conflict.

Not wanting to compromise the CID’s work by giving out too much information, the Minister said “I don’t want to go into details but I can assure that they are doing what they have to do and if there are people like that, the CID will smoke them out.”

“It will not be wise on my part to say in details of what they are doing but they are doing a lot when it comes to that aspect,” he added.

Mr Nitiwul stressed that no one will be spared once found out and there is sufficient evidence, the CID will arrest and begin immediate prosecution.

In the long term, however, Security Expert Col. Festus Aboagye (Rtd) thinks the National Peace Council is best placed to broker peace in Chereponi.

The reason, in his view, other delegations have failed at ringing in peace in Chereponi is because of their emotional attachment to the issue.

“The Peace Council’s capacity can be enhanced by adding other groups like the Kofi Annan Peace Keeping Training Centre and other civil society organisation, religious and traditional leaders who are not indigenous to the conflict area.

“Because the indigenes will have an emotional attachment to the different causes,” he added.

Another group of people Col Aboagye wants to be removed from the process, are political actors because, it will reduce it to the usual “this party and that party is behind this group. But the group that is not attached to any of the political groups…can help.”

While that is being done, he proposes that the security forces are deployed in their numbers to stabilise peace in the area. Read Full Story