The Agbogbloshie bloodshed must stop

IT has now become a rampant feature associated with Agbogbloshie or Old Fadama, in Accra, where youth groups engage in clashes over issues that are unclear to the public. Every now and then these clashes are reported between various youth groups in the Agbogbloshie area.

Yesterday, The Ghanaian Times reported a renewed clash between two feuding youth groups that erupted causing pandemonium in the area.

The report indicated that, in the process, five people, including a female, sustained gunshot and machete wounds while 16 people, including three females, were arrested by the police. The report stated further that all the suspects were Dagombas aged between 18 and 35 years.

Although, the report did not state what exactly sparked the latest clash, it is, however, assumed that it is connected to a long-standing conflict between the youth groups in the area. While some believe that there is a turf war originally coming from both political and tribal differences, others believe that the clashes have their root in chieftaincy disputes in the northern part of the country.

Whatever the reasons may be, we believe that the clashes must stop. We must count ourselves lucky that no one was killed unlike some of the previous clashes where a number of people were killed.

While we condemn the repeated clashes, we must also let all the people living in Agbogbloshie or Old Fadama to understand that they are one people and should stop fighting each other.

The unhealthy rivalry that has led to the clashes over the years has only culminated in injuries, the loss of lives and properties. The constant clash is a threat to the peaceful co-existence of the residents of Old Fadama and, therefore, must not be allowed to continue.

We urge the security agencies to be on the alert and monitor the situation in order to prevent any reprisal attacks in the area again. Residents of Agbogbloshie just like all other Ghanaians need to live in peace and harmony.