The Government says it will deal ruthlessly with people who are fueling clashes in the troubled Upper East Regional town of Bawku. Information Minister John Tia on Thursday told newsmen the government is aware of opinion leaders who are scheming to have the violence escalated. He tended in a T-Shirt with the inscription “Original chiefs of Bawku” which he claimed was printed in Accra, as evidence of his allegation. According to him, the shirt was printed in Accra, and sent all the way to Bawku, ostensibly to provoke ethnic sensibilities. Bawku has suffered a protracted ethnic strife between Kusasis and Mamprusis and has claimed dozens of human lives and destroyed valuable properties. In the last few weeks, the conflict appeared to have gotten out of hand with dissidents adopting guerrilla tactics and becoming even more ruthless in their killing. Both the Kusasis and the Mamprusis have been casualties. John Tia minced no words in restating government’s readiness to crash the faceless individual inciting the violence and their sponsors who sit in Accra and manipulate events in Bawku. “There are sponsors of this conflict who sit in Accra and engage in shameless acts that exacerbate the situation. “… These sponsors who we thought would have offered leadership in peace and mediation rather chose the path of perdition and incitement. “We want them to know their hands are dripping with blood. The security agencies are in the process of rounding up all these elements and we want to make it clear there will be no mercy for such persons,” he warned. John Tia gave the assurance that government will do all it can to bring lasting peace in the troubled region. He said an additional 105 troops have been dispatched to beef up security in the area. The Information Minister also reiterated government’s resolve to find the killers of the Ya-na Yakubu Andani, the Over Lord of Dagbon who was murdered in 2002. Story by Nathan Gadugah/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana