The Anufor Progressive Union (APU), the umbrella body for Chokosi ethnic group at Chereponi in the North East Region, is urging calm among its members, while the security agencies work to maintain law and order there.

A statement issued by APU and signed by Vice President, Salisu Jabakatie Amidu, said their confidence in the security agencies is high and therefore, they believe peace and orderliness would soon return to the area.

A protracted land dispute between the Chokosi and Konkonba ethnic groups in Chereponi- a small town in northern Ghana- has left several people dead with properties and livestock destroyed.

Konkombas, who form the majority in the district, and the Chokosis, a minority group, have made the headlines for all the wrong reasons over a piece of land.

The recent upsurge in the conflict saw the deployment of at least 100 military and police personnel into position to contain fresh violence there.

Read also: Over 100 security men deployed to Chereponi after man was shot dead at wedding

However, APU says the best approach to ending the violence is for the two factions to “co-oporate with the security services to give peace a chance” instead of pointing accusing fingers at each other.

“As a responsible group, APU is calling on all Chokosis to remain calm and law abiding…while we urge the security to deal justly with all sides of the conflict, as the difference between peace and war, is as clear as light and darkness,” the release appealed.

The group urges its counterpart, the Konkomba Youth Association to exercise restraint and desist from making inflamatory statements with the potential to derail the peace process.

It serves no useful purpose, APU maintained, to exacerbate the situation by levelling unfounded allegations against members of the minority group.