Asante Akyem North Assembly Begins Forceful Evacuation Of Nomadic Herdsmen

The Asante Akyem North District Assembly in the Ashanti region has begun a forcible evacuation of both cattle and nomadic herdsmen from the district to allow for a lasting peace and security in the area. 

The evacuation, which is being spearheaded by a combined team of soldiers and policemen under "Operation Cow Leg", started about four days ago on the orders of the Asante Akyem North District Assembly following an expiry of a deadline given the herdsmen to voluntarily leave the area at the end of November. 

The District Chief Executive, Frank Oti Boateng, who made this known to Radio Ghana noted that an estimated 45 thousand cattle which are being kept in the district’s portion of the Afram Plains are to be sent away during the exercise. 

Mr. Oti Boateng said the Operation will end only when every cattle and herdsman has been evacuated. 

He disclosed that since the exercise began, about five different herds of 800 cattle each have been driven away and that everything possible is being done to ensure that the animals do not return to the district. 

The DCE explained that the forcible evacuation is an enforcement of a 2012 Kumasi High Court Ruling secured by the then MP for Agogo compelling government to force owners of the cattle to send the animals away. 

Mr. Oti Boateng noted that upon assumption of office in May this year, he met with the nomadic herdsmen during which a deadline of five months was arrived at for the herdsmen confine their cattle to stop destruction of the people’s crop farms, killings, maiming of residents and sexual molestation of women including wives of the citizens sometimes in the husbands’ presence. 

The DCE noted in the last few years, about 40 inhabitants of the district have been killed with many others injured by the nomads. 

Such acts, Mr. Oti Boateng insisted, cannot be allowed to continue. 

He said the District Assembly has incurred huge expenses on "Operation Cow Leg" adding that government has been updated on the situation and hoped that it would provide financial relief to sustain the exercise to maintain peace and security in the district for enhanced socio-economic activities there.

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