Residents of Bawku in the Upper East Region have appealed to the government to fashion out a scheme to compensate those who lost their relations and property in the ethnic conflict there. They said the conflict had caused them unbearable hardship and trauma as a result of the loss of property such as houses, cars and electrical Iappliances. They acknowledged that "though the destruction was man made, we passionately appeal to the government to assist us to continue our livelihood". The conflict, which occurred early this year, has claimed the lives of at least 10 people, while many have been injured and valuable property, including houses, have been burnt. Many people within Bawku and its environs have also been displaced. The residents, who made the appeal through the Daily Graphic, said despite the restoration of peace in the area, there was still tension among the feuding ethnic groups, since some disgruntled youth still harboured clandestine intentions to launch violent attacks at the least provocation by their opponents. Some of them called on religious organisations to intervene in efforts to restore lasting peace to the area through dialogue and mediation because the two feuding groups had much confidence in those religious organisations. "The security agencies also should not relent but intensify their patrols in areas such as Sabongedi, Possun, Gozessa, Sabonzongo and Patelmi because most of the violent clashes occur in those areas," Mr Charles Akwotiga, the Bawku Municipal Development Officer of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), said, adding, "People who attempt to cross over to an area where a rival group resides end up being attacked." He appealed to the Ministry of the Interior and the REGSEC to constantly review the curfew hours, since the people experienced discomfort in their daily activities. "Our social life has been disrupted because we have to sleep early every day. We do not also have the freedom to associate with our friends and relatives," he stressed. A motorcycle mechanic, Mr Rahim Abugri, said the root cause of the conflict was chieftaincy and admonished the government to identify the problem and liaise with the National House of Chiefs to remedy it. He described the conflict as senseless and meaningless, stressing, "This is because the two ethnic groups are related, since there is inter-marriage between them." He admonished the feuding groups to stop fighting and regard each other as brothers and sisters by living in peace and harmony. Mr Ibrahim Musah, a trader, indicated that the curfew hours had immensely affected business activities in the area and that "a lot of traders in the market close earlier than the normal closing hours so that they will not be caught in the curfew". He reiterated the need for the curfew hours to be reviewed so that the people could embark on their daily activities to improve their livelihood. When contacted, the Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Alhassan Samari, said the government was concentrating on ways and means of restoring peace to Bawku but he did not discount the possibility of the victims being compensated for incurring losses during the conflict. He advised the people of Bawku to continue to live in peace and harmony, since that would convince the Ministry of the Interior and the REGSEC to constantly review the curfew hours. The Bawku Military Detachment Commander, Captain Victor Abbey, assured the people that the military, in partnership with the police, was intensifying its patrols in and around Bawku to ensure that lasting peace was restored. Source: Daily Graphic