Tumu, (U/W), June 12, GNA - Kanton Senior High School (SHS) and Tumu Senior High Technical School (SHTS) located in the Sissala East District of the Upper West Region have embarked on a peace walk. This is to mark the end of a long standing impasse and rivalry between the two sister schools. The two schools have been noted for their rivalry in both academic and sporting activities for a very long time now. The recent impasse, which led to the temporary closing down of the schools, started as a misunderstanding over sports, broke into a violent clash and resulted in the burning down of a girl's hostel of the Tumu SHT= S Girls.

The unfortunate incident happened a day before President John Evans Atta Mills visited the Schools as part of his three-day working tour of the region.

The President, who was unhappy about the situation, appealed to all in the district to put in measures to restore peace among the two schools. It is in this regard that the Old Students of both Schools took the initiative to organize the peace walk under the theme: 93Peace and Unity: A Collective Responsibility of All."

Participants of the peace walk included the Old Students, masters and students of both schools, officials from the District Education Office and the District Assembly. The participants who walked through the principal streets of Tumu carried placards with inscriptions such as, 93We are Brothers and Sisters= ", "Unity is Strength", 93Co-exist in Harmony", as well as 93We are O= ne People", among others. Kanton Lurimua, one of Tumu Kuoro's subjects, who addressed the students on his behalf, lamented about the unfortunate incident, saying it only brought destruction, pain and anguish not only to the two schools but also to them as parents and to the government. He noted that the two schools were like bothers and should be each other's keeper but not enemies.

Mr. Issahaku Mahama, the Sissala East District Coordinating Director, who represented the District Chief Executive, Madam Alijata Sulemana, commended the old students for initiating the process to reunite the two schools. He reminded the students that the government and their parents were spending resources on them and advised them to make good use of the resources to develop their future. Madam Catherine Dudimah, an official from the District Education Office, reminded the students that the GES wanted a district with schools noted for discipline and academic excellence but not violent schools. She advised them to bury their differences and make up for the lost time. Mr. Moses Luri, Leader of the Old Students, commended the masters and students of both schools for coming out in their numbers to participate in the peace walk.

Mr. Luri said it was an indication that both schools were ready to mak= e peace and pledged the commitment of the old students to continue to negotiate for the release of the three students that were arrested by the Police in connection with the disturbances. He appealed to the authorities to ensure that all damages were fixed t= o restore comfort especially to those affected directly. The two headmasters, Mr. Johnson Sabor and Mr. Simon Kumile thanked al= l for their concern in reuniting the schools and pledged to intensify disciplinary measures in their various schools to prevent future disturbances. The two senior prefects also pledged their commitment to make peace an= d appealed for a football match and a joint entertainment to further deepen the peace process between the two sister schools.