Over 2,000 residents flee town

Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Kintampo North, Michael Baffoe, has told Accra-based Joy FM that the community which is home to over 3,000 residents is now a ghost town with only about 40 people left.

“They have nearby communities so the moment it starts, they just rushed to the various nearby communities, and so as we speak now, some of them are at Kadirisu others are at Golompe," he added.

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One person was killed in a gun battle involving two factions in a chieftaincy dispute last Friday. Several houses were also burnt in the process.

Residents believe a long-standing chieftaincy dispute between two chiefs could be behind the latest clashes.

Some residents indicated that one of the chiefs subsequently left town following the clashes. But upon his return, residents from one of the factions in the conflict are demanding he leaves the town.

The angry residents started firing shots on Friday morning around 8 in protest over the chief's arrival.

Meanwhile, an unspecified number of people who have been arrested in connection with the latest clashes are being interrogated in Sunyani, the Brong Ahafo Regional capital.

A combined team of police and military personnel are also patrolling the area to ensure law and order.