Feuding groups in the Doba-Kandiga land dispute in the Upper East Region have agreed to halt the fighting, which has cost lives and ruined houses worth thousands of cedis.
Since 2020, two villages, Doba in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality and Kandiga in the Kassena-Nankana West District, have been involved in a community fight over the ownership of land on which a Police post and a Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) facility were to be built.
Over several months, gunshots from both sides resulted in deaths, property damage, and the burning of homes and farmlands.
With armed military and police troops stationed in the troubled villages, economic and agricultural activity have come to a standstill.
Following a succession of mediation efforts by stakeholders, the dispute is said to be over, with both communities planning a traditional exercise to cleanse the land of blood spill.
The two communities will hold the blood purification exercise on Friday, February 24, 2023, with spiritual and traditional officials from both groups completing the rites jointly to put a stop to the deadly hostilities.
To conclude the reconciliation process, an inter-denominational Church service will be held on Sunday.
Clement Asakiya, who represents the Doba Community, told journalists following a meeting of both groups that the fight is embarrassing to both communities and will not be allowed to continue.
He highlighted that resources had been depleted throughout the period and that no bullets would be fired in the future.
"Our appeal has been consistent and it is that, Peace has to reign. What has happened has already brought to us enough embarrassment. It is not this era that people are busy developing themselves and their communities; that we will use the little resources we have to secure useless weapons and kill ourselves.
"That era is far gone and its already unfortunate it happened. We are calling on all our following to seize fire. Anybody who will go deviant to this directive is doing that on his own and is a criminal," he said.