Bawku (U/E) June 25, GNA - The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Patrick Kwarteng Acheampong and Major General Samuel Odotei, Chief of Army Staff, on Wednesday said the Government and the National Security apparatus were doing their best to bring lasting peace to Bawku before the December Elections.

They said President John Agyekum Kufuor had been meeting Security chiefs to discuss the situation and had directed that everything be done to support the Security Personnel in Bawku so that they could work effectively to bring peace to the area.

The IGP and Chief of Army Staff said this when they interacted with various groups during their visit to Bawku to assess the situation on the ground and to meet with the Security Personnel deployed there.

They said as part of measures to aid the security, one more armoured car would be sent to Bawku to add to the two that were already being used and that 20 out of 52 vehicles that were given to the Police for nationwide service would also be sent to Bawku to help with patrol duties. The soldiers and Policemen deployed there would also be given raincoats to protect them during this rainy season.

They appealed to all Ghanaians to engage in peace moves and to encourage the people of Bawku to stop fighting and to use dialogue to solve their problems.

They said while the National Security apparatus did its best, much would depend on the people, and stressed the need to convince them to cooperate with the Government and the Security Personnel to bring peace to the area.

They noted that peace was needed for development to take place and the conflict had not only stalled the progress of development in Bawku but had become a major preoccupation that had drawn attention from other important national assignments.

Since last Saturday when the conflict started again after a man, who went in search of his missing horse was killed, 13 people have been killed while five others, who suffered various degrees of injury are responding to treatment at the Bolgatanga Hospital. Bawku Municipality had only four hours of freedom on Wednesday as the curfew hours have been extended to begin from 1200 noon 0800 hours. People had to rush out at 08.00 hours to do brisk business, selling and