Ghanaian killed in market raid in Burkina Faso
One Ghanaian and two Burkinabes were killed when a gang of suspected armed robbers attacked a Mobile Money vendor and a forex bureau at Yelewongo on the Burkina Faso side of the border with Ghana, near the Bongo District in the Upper East Region.
The Ghanaian, identified as Azonga Asampana, 45, was killed by a bullet from an indiscriminate shooting by the suspected robbers as they embarked on the robbery operations during last Tuesday’s market day in the town.
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Traders from Ghana, particularly Bongo, also a border town, travel to Yelewongo to transact businesses on market days.
Briefing
The Public Affairs Officer of the Upper East Regional Police Command, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) David Fianko-Okyere, confirmed the story to the Daily Graphic at Bolgatanga yesterday and added that the incident happened in Burkina Faso.
ASP Fianko-Okyere indicated that the body of Asampana had been released to the family after the necessary processes.
He said the Burkinabe security agencies had taken up the matter for further investigations.
Meanwhile, eyewitness accounts suggested that a two-year-old child who was allegedly shot in the chest was receiving treatment at the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital.
Renewed conflict
In another development, seven people have been arrested by the Regional Police Command in connection with renewed disturbances between the Kandiga and Doba communities.
ASP Fianko-Okyere further revealed that about six houses were torched during last Tuesday’s disturbances between the communities, but stressed that no casualties were recorded.
Meanwhile, security has been beefed up in the area.
Background
On Friday, April 24, 2020, a 78-year-old man was shot dead when a fight broke out between the youths of the two communities.
On July 4, 2020, six other persons lost their lives in the renewed land dispute.
The disturbances were over the renovation of an existing structure for a police station.
The two communities share boundaries, and have over the past years disagreed over the ownership of the piece of land on which the structure earmarked to be renovated and converted into a police station was sited.
