The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Christian Tetteh Yohuno, has engaged the Special Operations Team deployed to Bole and surrounding areas in the Savannah Region as part of efforts to maintain the peace and security in the area.

The meeting, held at the Savannah Regional Police Headquarters in Damongo, followed the IGP’s emergency visit to the region last week in the wake of communal clashes at Gbiniyiri that claimed at least 31 lives and injured dozens as of Tuesday, September 2.

Official figures from the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) suggest that up to 1,500 people have been displaced since the violent clashes over land erupted in Gbiniyiri on Sunday, August 24, 2025.

On Thursday, August 28, 2025, eight people drowned in the Volta River when they attempted to flee the troubled town of Gbiniyiri to safety.

Currently, security has been reinforced with the deployment of an additional detachment of police and military personnel to the area.

The Special Operations Team has been detailed for community patrols, intelligence gathering, and conflict prevention efforts aimed at stabilising the situation in the area and preventing violent incidents among community members.

Some communities in the region have experienced civil disturbances lately, with the Gbiniyiri communal clashes being the latest conflict.

At the meeting, Mr Yohuno charged members of the Special Operations Team to remain professional, disciplined and committed to their duties.

He emphasised the need for vigilance, proactive policing, and strong ethical conduct, stressing the importance of the team’s role in ensuring lasting peace in the region.

The meeting was scheduled as part of the IGP’s working visit to the area.

Mr Yohuno encouraged the team to liaise effectively with other security agencies to enhance inter-agency collaboration.

The IGP highlighted the importance of fostering unity, improving coordination, and ensuring time efficiency in joint efforts to maintain law and order.

In addition, the team was directed to intensify daily patrols, particularly in the boundary areas of Bole, where displacement had occurred, with the charge to give special attention to securing the areas.

The presence and continued operations of the team have so far contributed to maintaining order and restoring public confidence.

As part of the peace-building effort, a statement issued last Sunday by the Spokesperson to the President and Minister of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, said President John Mahama had dispatched a government delegation, led by the Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohamed-Mubarak, to meet the Yagbonwura and other key stakeholders in the area over relevant issues.

The statement said the move was after the President had “received a briefing from the National Security Coordinator and the Minister for the Interior on developments in the Sawla-Bole area of the Savannah Region upon his return from a state visit to Singapore”.

“While in Singapore, the President spoke by telephone with the Yagbonwura, Jira Bikunuto Jewu Soale I, to discuss steps to end the conflict and restore peace between the Gonja and Brifor communities,” the statement added.

“President Mahama urges all parties to support the initiatives underway to end the conflict and restore normalcy.

“He has directed the government delegation to work with the Regional Security Council, traditional leaders, and community stakeholders to promote dialogue and peacefully resolve outstanding disputes, to restore peace and uphold law and order,” the statement further stated.