Many people fleeing the Gbinyiri communal clashes in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District of the Savannah Region are said to have drowned after the boat they were traveling on capsized on the Black Volta River.
The victims, who were displaced by the Gbiniyiri land dispute, were attempting to cross the river into neighbouring Cote dÍvoire on Thursday when the accident occurred at Dinie Tuonbo.
Six people have since been reportedly rescued by the emergency response team.
The Savannah Regional Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Mahama Zakaria, said a rescue team has been deployed to the scene to search for the missing victims.
The violent clashes, which erupted on Sunday over a parcel of land at Gbiniyiri, have already claimed 10 lives, while more than 18 others have sustained various injuries.
The conflict has displaced more than 1,500 people, mostly women, children, and persons with disabilities.
A journey through the area reveals deserted communities that once bustled with life along the Sawla–Bole highway.
Villages such as Seiyiri and Nasoyiri near Sawla, as well as Bodi, Kakiase, Gbogdaa, and Doli on the way to Bole, appeared abandoned, their usual vibrancy replaced by silence and fear.
Writer’s email:mohammed.fugu@graphic.com.gh
Source: graphic.com.gh