One Killed, Houses Torched in renewed Bole Chieftaincy clashes

At least one person has been reportedly killed and many injured in a renewed disturbances  between chieftaincy factions in Bole.

Several houses have also been set ablaze.

Bole based radio station Nkilgi FM identify the victim as one Jacob, a supporter of Chief Issahaku Abdulai Kant faction. One other sympathizer was also injured.

The station said two sons of rival Chief Abutu Bukari named Castro and Sule were also shot and injured. Castro is said to be in critical condition at the Wa Regional Hospital.

Manager of the station and spokesman for the Gonjaland Youth Association, Mahama Haruna quoted eye witnesses as saying shootings started when Chief Kant decided to dance his Damba and subsequently enskined as Bolewura.

The family house of the disputed chiefs stand opposite.

Tensions have been simmering in Bole for months now after a symbolic ruling by a judicial council of the Regional House of chiefs on the prolonged chieftaincy misunderstanding in Mandari, an important nearby community within the Traditional Area, where chiefs automatically ascend to the Bole Skin upon vacancy.

Two royal individuals, who are all members of the Safope gate, laid claims to the Mandari skin and confusion broke in June last year over the rightful candidate of the Bole skin, after the chief, Bolewura Awuladese Pontomprong Mahama (II) died.

There were reports of violent lockdown and escalating squabbles among supporters of Abdalai Issahaku Kant and his rival brother, Abubakari Abutu, forcing a deployment of armed forces to the district capital.

The latter had been allegedly appointed by the late chief of Bole as the rightful candidate for the Mandari skin, but the Yagbonwura, overlord of the entire traditional area, allegedly refused to give his blessing and rather settled on the former, which sparked the dispute.

The tensions last month forced the Northern Regional Security Council to place an injunction on all traditional activities in the area including the funeral of the late Bolewura.

Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/Eliasu Tanko

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