There could be a district-wide clash between residents of the Talensi District of the Upper East Region and members of the Fulbe communities settling in parts of the district. This is due to heightened security concerns in the area, with many fingers pointed at members of the Fulbe community.
“We haven’t had that yet but I am sure it is imminent.We could have clashed because now a lot of the people are sensitised into identifying who is robbing you without looking at faces. but sometimes in identifying a criminal, you may not be entirely spot on. In the heat of the moment, if there is a line up and you see someone who looks like this person who attacked you, it may give credence to the fact that these are the people leading attacks.”
When the DCE for the area, Thomas Duanab Wuni Pearson, spoke with A1 Radio’s Mark Smith recently, he called for calm heads as the Assembly coordinates a comprehensive security response to the issues in the communities because the crimes cannot be entirely placed at the doorsteps of members of the Fulbe community.
“I can’t say we have done any research but what we have been able to gather is most victims of robberies happening late in the night in the bushes, when they come out, they are able to describe the kind of persons who attack them, maybe by language and all that. Most of them come to say my attackers were Fulanis. That is how we have gathered this information and the stereotyping is ongoing. In Balungu we have some Fulani people and a Fulani chief. There are some in Wog, Salvelig and Sheaga and all that. They are scattered in our bushes and have leaders. Unfortunately, their leaders are not able to give them out to us.”
“We have tried to do a complete stock taking or profiling of all the new ones who came into our place. We have a series of engagements with the leaders. The police are aware of this. DISEC has instructed that we should profile every Fulani in our bushes. That exercise would soon take place. But you see, we cannot discount the fact that our own people are involved.”
It would be recalled that recently, a resident and member of an ad hoc committee aiding investigation in the Talensi District over the robberies, Solomon Zinekena T.T.B., bemoaned that residents, particularly in the Eastern part of the District, are gripped with fear as robbery and attacks on individuals persist.
According to him, “they were very hopeful that the situation would change, looking at the gravity of the effort being made in that regard, but it appears the armed robbers are very smart, bold, and courageous, and they are quite determined, and it appears they have outsmarted and outweighed our DISEC and that of the police.”
The social commentator revealed that on Thursday, September 21, 2023, between the hours of 8 p.m., two gentlemen were robbed, and when the guys got closer, they fired an AK-47 rifle into the ground and commanded them to kneel down. They searched and took their phones, money, and a motorbike.
He said one of them identified the robbers as a known Fulani who has been dealing in cattle business with his uncle, and the matter was subsequently reported, and they have been arrested and are before court.
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
