A middle-aged man has been shot dead by unknown assailants near Kalba, in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District of the Savannah Region, in what residents believe is the latest escalation of the Gbenyiri conflict.
The victim, whose name has been withheld, had reportedly travelled from Uro — a community without electricity — to Kalba to charge his mobile phone when he was ambushed by gunmen. Police say he was shot off his motorcycle and died instantly. His body has since been deposited at St. Anne’s Catholic Hospital in Damongo.
Local stakeholders link the killing to the protracted Gbenyiri conflict, which has so far claimed 32 lives, destroyed property, and displaced more than 50,000 people.
On August 23, violent clashes broke out after a dispute between a Gbenyiri resident and the chief’s son over a parcel of land. The clashes spread to Kalba and surrounding communities, leaving scores injured despite the deployment of 400 police officers to restore order.
A resident, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed frustration with the security situation:
“With this killing, who do you think will trust the system again? Some of us suspected this to happen because the guys are still around in Kalba town, and if you deceive yourself and go there, they will end your life like this farmer.”
The killing comes barely two weeks after Inspector General of Police, Christian Tetteh Yohunu, and senior security chiefs visited the conflict zone to reassure residents.
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