The police command in Navrongo in the Upper East Region has arrested 10 suspects in connection with a fresh inter-ethnic conflict which led to the killing of six people in the Kassena-Nankana area.

Among the victims of the conflict between the Doba and Kandiga, which was over a piece of land, was an old man who was more than 100 years old.

Twelve houses were torched in the conflict.

Some locals have fled the area to seek refuge in neighbouring villages.

The conflict was sparked by the heroic welcome given to some Kandiga suspects by their kith after the Bolga High Court, before which they had been standing trial in connection with an earlier conflict, granted them bail to the chagrin of the Doba.

The police has launched investigations into the matter.

In the interim, a police and army personnel have been deployed there to main peace.

Also, the Navrongo Municipal Security Committee is billed to hold an emergency security meeting over the matter.

In April this year, a 72–year-old man was shot dead at Kandiga after a two-day violent conflict between the two rivals who share boundaries and have over the past years disagreed over the ownership of the piece of land on which an old structure that has been earmarked to be renovated and converted into a police station, is sited.

At the time, the Kassena-Nankana Municipal Police Commander, Superintendent Francis Agyare, said the conflict started when the people of Doba noticed that the old structure was being renovated by the Kandiga people.

He said the disturbances were quickly put under control by a joint army and police force but after calm had returned, an unidentified person, two days later, shot the old man who was standing in front of his house.

Following the incident, the municipal assembly imposed restrictions on movement of people in the two communities and beefed up security to maintain calm.

A statement issued by the Municipal Assembly and copied to the media at the time, said: “In accordance with the Imposition of Restriction Act 2020, Act 1020 and on the authority of the Upper East Regional Security Council, the Kasena-Nankana Municipal Security Committee (MUSEC) in conjunction with the District Security Committee of the Kasena-Nankana West District Assembly, hereby announce for the information of the general public, especially the chiefs and people of Doba and Kandiga traditional area, that restriction of movement of persons within the area has been imposed, from 6 pm to 8 am each day beginning from Friday, 24 April 2020 until further notice”.

The statement added that it was prohibited to carry arms or other similar harmful implements in the area and anybody who flouted the directives would be dealt with according to law by the security services.

In May this year, the joint security committees of the two assemblies reviewed the restriction on movement from 0600hours to 2000hours, to 0600 hours to 1900hours. It took effect from Tuesday, 5 May 2020 until further notice.

A statement signed by the Kassena Nankana Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Williams Aduum, at the time, said the review was done in response to a directive by the Upper East Regional Security Council, in cognisance of the general cooperation and compliance of the chiefs and people of the two communities.