The Ashanti Regional Security Council (REGSEC), has embarked on an operation to get rid of the Fulani herdsmen who have invaded the Agogo area in the Asante Akyem North District of Ashanti, amid atrocities.
As an immediate measure toward ensuring lasting solution to the situation, the REGSEC has directed the Regional Police Command to take all the necessary steps to engage the leadership of various stakeholders in the conflicts in Agogo and other communities to bring the situation under control.
The main objective, however, is to get rid of the nomadic Fulani herdsmen who bring their cattle from outside Ghana, and move to the Afram Plains area to graze.
A security force had also been deployed to contain the escalating situation following three deaths within a week, with two being citizens of Agogo and one a Fulani.
At a press briefing here yesterday, the chairmen of the REGSEC, Peter Anarfi Mensah, outgoing Ashanti Regional Minister, explained that there were two categories of the Fulani herdsmen, the locals living with the people and their cattle confined to particular areas to graze, and, therefore, not considered destructive and the nomadic herdsmen, who come from outside Ghana to the Afram Plains area to graze and return to their home countries and regions, during the wet season.
Mr Anarfi-Mensah used the platform to condemn comments made by the Member of Parliament (MP) Kwadwo Baah Agyemang, at a press briefing on January 26,this year inciting the youth of Agogo to take a militant action against any Fulani herdsman in the area.
The minister, was concerned about reprisal attacks in view of the fact that the herdsmen operate in the night.
He described the MP’s call on the people to refrain from selling anything to a Fulani or picking them in their car as very unfortunate and dangerous and “REGSEC views the resolution as major threats to the security of the area, and by extension the region”.
Mr Anarfi-Mensah pointed out that after the MP’s inciting comments, there had been a number of clashes between the herdsmen and the youth of Agogo, some of whom chased the local herdsmen.
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