According to them, the situation as it stands now, does not allow for any campaign activities, as the least provocation might fuel the conflict.
Addressing a press conference in Accra yesterday, the MPs, led by John Ndebugri (PNC, Zebilla), said the curfew hours did not allow for basic needs to be accomplished within the stipulated time and so campaigning would be seriously affected if peace was not restored to that area.
Ndebugri stated that the issues involved had shifted from a chieftaincy dispute between Mamprusis and Kusasis to a law and order matter, and urged government to exercise the power to deal drastically with all persons who are involved in the lawlessness.
"We take note of the fact that the Bawku conflict is becoming intractable and beyond the boundaries of a chieftaincy conflict. We believe very strongly that the situation has become a law and order issue that requires resolute action by the state."
Narrating the circumstances that caused the renewed conflict, he said one Zakaria Abagre, a Mamprusi who had gone looking for his missing horse, was attacked and stoned to death on Sunday by a mob from the rival Kusasi ethnic tribe.
Ndebugri disclosed that after security personnel had visited the area and taken the dead body away, some Mamprusi men in a pick-up vehicle and disguised in military attire set out to retaliate. Fearing they were soldiers, men ran away leaving mostly women and children in the hands of the mob.
This however, did not deter the attackers from inflicting several injuries on the helpless men and women. Eight instant deaths, he disclosed, occurred including a seven-day old baby who had just been named that morning, and her nursing mother. Several others were wounded and as at Monday two more persons who were receiving treatment were also reported dead.
"We condemn, without any reservation, the stoning to death of Zakaria Abagre", he said, adding that though Zakaria might have been moving during curfew hours, he should have been apprehended and handed over to the security agencies for questioning rather than killing him.
"We condemn, in greater measure, the dastardly and gruesome murder of the defenseless and vulnerable persons (women and children) who were massacred by the uniformed persons. The perpetrators of such acts infringe international humanitarian law", they MPs.
"We express our deepest concern over the use of military uniforms by unauthorized persons for criminal purposes, and call on the government and the security agencies to unmask these persons and bring them to justice as soon as possible" they added.
Meanwhile, the Minister for Interior Kwame Addo-Kufuor, yesterday told Parliament that government had put stringent measures in place to give it warning signals about impending conflicts.
"Mr Speaker, National Security agencies - primarily CID, BNI, Defence Intelligence and among others - gather intelligence all the time and provide early warning of possible unrest. But the government, in an effort to further enhance conflict prevention, has developed and adopted the National Architecture for Peace under which the Early Warning and Analysis Centre is to be established at the Ministry of the Interior", he revealed
Responding to a question posed by Alhaji Abukari Sumani,(NDC, Tamale North) who asked him whether his outfit had any plans to set up early warning systems in the security risk areas in the country, he said the National Peace Council and seven Regional Peace Advisory Councils had been set up by government to feed into the early warning mechanism and also help with peaceful resolution of conflicts.
According to him, currently the Regional Peace Councils had been established in the Northern, Volta, Western, Upper East, Upper West, Eastern and Brong Ahafo Regions. The Councils for the remaining three regions, according to him would be established later.
Dr Addo Kufuor, indicated that the officers involved in the Peace Councils had been trained in Conflict Resolution and also serve as technical persons to the Regional Coordinating Councils.
"Mr Speaker, it is our expectation that by the end of the year 2008 the Early Warning and Analysis Centre will be fully operational generating qualitative analysis of threat indicators, passing on information for timely action by the relevant Government Agencies", he stressed.
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