The small community of Manya Yoyim, nestled near Adjena in Ghana’s Eastern Region, is embroiled in a escalating land dispute with their Adjena neighbors. Residents of Manya Yoyim have issued a desperate plea to President John Dramani Mahama, Inspector General of Police Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, and other national authorities, seeking urgent intervention to prevent further violence and potential bloodshed. They allege that the people of Adjena are laying claim to all the lands within the Manya Yoyim area, resulting in a series of aggressive actions, including physical assaults, property destruction, and threats of eviction. The situation has reached a critical point, with the residents fearing for their safety and livelihoods.
The conflict, according to Manya Yoyim’s community chief, Nene Gabriel Nartey, began with an incident involving a felled tree. A resident of Manya Yoyim had cut down a tree on his own farm and processed it into planks. Before he could arrange transportation for the lumber, individuals identified as leaders from Adjena arrived on the scene, armed with firearms. They reportedly fired warning shots, loaded the planks onto their own vehicle, and injured a Manya Yoyim resident with a machete when he attempted to intervene. The wounded individual was taken to a hospital in Akosombo for treatment.
This initial incident sparked a wave of further aggression. Nene Nartey reported that the Adjena group continued to fire warning shots at homes in Manya Yoyim and threatened to evict the residents. They also allegedly destroyed farmlands and other plantations. The escalating violence reached a shocking point when a group of women from Manya Yoyim were assaulted on their way to the market. The women were reportedly physically attacked and threatened with even further violence, including sexual assault, if they did not remain silent. Their goods were also confiscated.
The Manya Yoyim community has reported these incidents to the Akosombo Divisional Police Headquarters. While police invited both parties for mediation, the Adjena representatives failed to appear. This lack of response from law enforcement has heightened the fear and desperation within the Manya Yoyim community. They are now appealing for intervention from the highest levels of government, including the President, national security, the IGP, and the Ministry of Defence, requesting immediate security protection to prevent further escalation. They warn that without intervention, they may be forced to take matters into their own hands.
The accounts of the assaulted women paint a grim picture of the escalating violence. Tettey Love Blessing recounted how she and other women were stopped by the Adjena group on their way to the market. They were interrogated about their place of origin and told that Manya Yoyim did not exist, that they were in fact from Adjena. They were then physically assaulted with sticks. One of the aggressors even threatened sexual assault, highlighting the brazen nature of the attacks. The women’s pleas that they were all one people and their refusal to retaliate were ignored. It was only the intervention of a man from Adjena that eventually allowed them to escape with their lives.
The land dispute, according to Yeniamah electoral area Assemblymember Moses Fio, has been simmering for the past four years. The people of Adjena have been persistently claiming Manya Yoyim as their own, despite the long-standing presence of the Manya Yoyim community, whose ancestry in the area dates back generations. Mr. Fio echoed the community’s plea for intervention from the IGP, urging him to warn the Adjena people against further encroachment on their land. He emphasized that while they are committed to peace and have no intention of invading Adjena territory, they are prepared to defend themselves and their homes if the attacks continue. He further highlighted the challenges they face in receiving timely police assistance due to the distance between their community and the Akosombo police station, noting that by the time police arrive, the aggressors have often fled the scene. This delay in law enforcement response leaves the Manya Yoyim community feeling vulnerable and unprotected.
