Residents of Agogo in the Ashanti Region are embarking on a demonstration to pile pressure on government to drive out nomadic herdsmen in the area who have been accused of burning farms, murder and rape.

Streets in Agogo have been livened up by a thick stream of protesters, including religious and traditional leaders, clad in black and red clothes and holding anti-government and anti-normadic herdsmen placards.

This is at least the second reported demonstration by the residents in a conflict with herdsmen that has escalated this year.

The youth in the town have blamed government for the continued stay of nomadic herdsmen in the town despite a 2012 court order that they be driven out. The period of execution of the court order has since expired.

Kindly find below a video of residents demonstrating at Agogo

Background

The nomads have been accused of perpetrating crimes including murder and rape besides the destruction of farm crops by their grazing cattle.

Residents of Agogo and surrounding communities have for years raised concerns about the activities of herdsmen believed to be mostly Fulanis.

 

Demonstration

Early this year, the MP for Asante Akyem North, Kwadwo Baah Agyemang led a demonstration to evict the herdsmen in the area.

Tension heightened in the town after the demonstration as one person died after the exchange of gunshots between some herdsmen and Agogo indigenes.

After the Inspector General of Police, John Kudalor met with the Traditional Leaders, opinion leaders and affected residents, the Ashanti Regional Security Council dispatched security personnel to Agogo to flush out the nomads and their cattle after the incident.

But the action did not yield the desirable result as the herdsmen and their cattle keep terrorizing the people in the area.

 

Residents threats

According to a statement by the youth of the town, the herdsmen take their cattle for grazing at night, destroying their farm produce.

"We are however bold to state that te land we are talking about now was fought for and won for us with the blood of our ancestors. We are not disposed to losing an inch of it for whatever reason," the statement read.

 

Copy of the statement

They have also accused some security personnel in the town of protecting the herdsmen and their cattle.

The residents have vowed to "utilize the necessary measures to secure their land".

 

Response from herdsmen

The herdsmen have debunked the various accusations leveled against them. They have called for amicable settlement of the issues between them and the indigenes.

The spokesperson for the Fulani community in the Asante Akyem area, Musah Ali, told Joy news the demonstration today by natives of Agogo is an act of hypocrisy.

He alleged that many of the cattle in the area are owned by Ashantis and other Ghanaians. He said says is wrong to target the Fulani people who are taking care of cattle owned by Ghanaians.