More than 260 Fulani herdsmen have run to the Bole District in the Northern Region as refugees following a conflict between them and the Brifos, an Ivorian ethnic group at Bouna, a border town near Bole in Ghana.
The escaping cattle herders and their families, mostly children and women, ran to Ghana after they were chased out of the town by the locals in Bouna.
[contextly_sidebar id=”92xupRqioto3ggwIaqLkhiOp23llHW9Z”]The Brifos were said to be angered by the continued destruction of their farms by the animals of the herdsmen.
Confirmation
The Bole District Police Commander, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Eric Awiadem, confirmed the development to the Graphic Online in an interview.
He explained that on Friday, March 25, this year, the Bole District Security Committee (DISEC) heard that there was a conflict between the Fulani herdsmen and the Brifo people. Following the information, he said the DISEC suspected there could be a spillover of the conflict to Ghana since it was close to Bole.
Assistance
ASP Awiadem added that the military was called in to take a recce at the border in order to prevent any eventuality. He said the military assisted the police to bring the Fulanis from Bouna to Bole, explaining that the Fulanis who were running to Ghana could have been attacked by the other Brifos living in Ghana around the border had it not been the presence of the military.
ASP Awiadem said the Fulanis have been provided with shelter in Bole, saying they did not come with their cattle. He added that “We don’t want them to bring their cattle here to cause any trouble to our farmers”. He, however, denied earlier media reports that the military had invaded the town.
Military
When contacted, the Sixth Garrison Public Relations Officer (PRO), Flying Officer Elizabeth Salifu, said the military received an order to move to the area to assist the police.
“We were called to assist the police and to provide escort services to those who were crossing over to Bole”, she stated.
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Source: Graphic online