Two Shot dead in Chereponi violence

There have been some fresh attacks on some Chekosi communities on Sunday morning in the Chereponi district of the North-East Region leading to at least two deaths.

Other persons have sustained various injuries as several houses and other properties have been destroyed in the latest tensions between Chokosis (Anufuls) and Kokonbas.

Some of the affected communities in Sunday morning’s clashes were Kwame Nansoni, Nansoni Jaga and Kpatani.

A team of military and police have been dispatched to the hotspots.

The violence started on Friday evening when unknown assailants opened fire on Nawieku, a Chokosi community in the district, injuring one person.

The following day, 75 military personnel and 40 police officers were deployed to the area following reported reprisal attacks.

By evening, travelers heading to Chereponi could not pass through some Konkomba communities because men had mounted roadblocks.

Despite suggestions that the roadblocks were to target Chokosi, some of the poeple that were stopped said they were beaten and their phones and other belongings taken from them regardless of their ethnic affiliation.

“We were blocked by the Konkombas and asked to come out of the car. Whilst we started coming out of the car, they started beating our people and seizing our phones. We had to even run. others were shot at and some were beaten brutally.”

The Konkomba Youth Association has condemned the attacks and called on the leaders of the country “to help forestall peace in Chereponi.”

“In fact, it is not possible in our current dispensation to have a tribal district and for that matter, the Konkombas in Chereponi are part and parcel of the Chereponi district and not aliens and for that matter should be treated as such,” the group said in a statement.

January clash

In January 2019, troops were deployed to contain similar tensions in Chereponi after two persons were reported dead and several others injured following a clash between Anufuls and Konkombas over a piece of land at Naduni, a farming community in the district.

That clash was reportedly triggered by suspicions that some Chekosis had attacked some Konkombas with stones.

There is currently a 6 pm to 6 am curfew on the area.

Source: citifmonline