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Catholic Entity Reaches Out to Families, Victims of Violence in Ghana’s Yendi Diocese

CRS officials and Bishop emeritus Vincent Sowah Boi-Nai meet members of Zakoli community following attack. Credit: CRS

Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the U.S., has reached out to families and victims of the Zakoli attack that reportedly left at least eight people dead and several others injured in Ghana’s Catholic Diocese of Yendi.

On April 13, some unknown persons besieged Zakoli, a nomadic settler community in the Yendi Municipality of the Northern Region of Ghana and killed eight members of the community, News Watch Ghana reported. Four other members of the community also sustained gunshot injuries following the attack, and thatch-roofed houses, food crops and motorbikes were also destroyed during the attack.

In a Wednesday, June 8 report, CRS officials say they reached out to those affected by the attack with food and assorted items to support their upkeep.

“A total of 20 widows and 33 children including twins from seven households in the area received the items, which included 10 gallons of cooking oil, 10 bags of rice, 20 bags of maize and bales of clothing valued at GH₵50,000 (US$6,300.00),” the report indicates.

“The gesture was CRS’ way of showing love and support to the victims following the incident,” the Country representative of the Catholic charity, Daniel Mumuni, has been quoted as saying in the June 8 report. 

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In the report, Mr. Mumuni commends the local chief for his “leadership in ensuring peace in the area”, and adds, “CRS cared about the victims, and prayed to God to comfort them.”

He cautions the members of the community against “retaliatory attacks'', adding that “vengeance was for the Lord”. He urged “the community members to remain peaceful and be one another’s keeper.”

“Violence should not be an option in any endeavor,” the CRS official says in the report, and calls on the parties in conflict “to seek dialogue at all times.”

Mr. Mumuni also expresses appreciation to Bishop emeritus Vincent Sowah Boi-Nai for the “love and leadership” he had shown towards the people, adding that the Bishop did not “discriminate among Christians and Muslims.”

The Chief of Zakoli, Na Abukari Andani, who received the items on behalf of the beneficiaries, thanked their benefactors for reaching out to them. 

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“The donation was the biggest I have received since this incident,” Na Abukari is quoted as saying in the report, and adds, “I appealed to the Peace Council and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference to help the police in their investigations to bring perpetrators of the violent attack to book.”

He also invites the police “to intensify investigations to bring those behind the killing and burning of the houses and property of their victims to order.”

In the June 8 report, Bishop Boi-Nai says all that the people need is “peace, for without peace there cannot be development.”

“Deepen dialogue for lasting peace instead of engaging in reprisal attacks,” the Ghanaian Catholic Bishop has been quoted as saying.

He adds, “The Church always had the people in their prayers and advised that they should commit everything into the hands of God.”

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Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.