The Interior Ministry has renewed the curfew for Sawla Tuna Kalba Township and surrounding communities in the Savannah Region, maintaining restrictions from midnight to 5:00 am effective Wednesday, November 26, 2025.
Interior Minister Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak issued the directive through Executive Instrument following advice from the Regional Security Council. The renewal represents the latest extension of security measures first imposed in late August after violent clashes over chieftaincy and land disputes killed at least eleven people.
The curfew maintains existing restrictions including a total ban on firearms, ammunition and offensive weapons, with violators facing arrest and prosecution. Authorities continue prohibiting two or more persons from riding motorbikes together throughout the day, while the wearing of war regalia remains banned at all times.
Government officials have repeatedly urged traditional leaders, opinion leaders, youth and residents to exercise restraint and resolve ongoing disputes through non violent channels. The ministry statement emphasized that peaceful means remain the appropriate path for addressing grievances rather than confrontation.
The township has remained under various forms of curfew since August 27 when authorities imposed initial restrictions running from 6:00 pm to 6:00 am. Security officials gradually relaxed the hours to 8:00 pm to 5:00 am in early September before reaching the current midnight to 5:00 am timeframe later that month as the security situation improved.
The August violence erupted from longstanding chieftaincy succession disputes and land conflicts that have tested security arrangements throughout the year. District Chief Executive Saala Sinkina confirmed the death toll while noting dozens more suffered injuries during the initial outbreak that prompted the emergency measures.
The conflict has displaced thousands of residents who fled to neighboring regions. The National Disaster Management Organisation reported that displaced persons from Sawla Tuna Kalba seeking refuge in the Bono Region jumped from 880 to 2,317 during the crisis, with evacuees currently sheltered across Wenchi, Tain, Dormaa East and Jaman North assemblies.
Bole Township, also located in Savannah Region, operates under similar security restrictions following parallel chieftaincy tensions. The Interior Minister issued a concurrent curfew renewal for Bole on November 19, maintaining identical midnight to 5:00 am hours and accompanying restrictions on weapons, motorbikes and war regalia.
The Bole area first came under curfew in late August with initial restrictions severely constraining movement and economic activities from 6:00 pm to 6:00 am daily. Authorities gradually eased those hours as security assessments showed improvements, though the underlying tensions related to chieftaincy succession remain unresolved.
Both townships face challenges rooted in complex traditional authority structures and resource competition that periodically flare into violence despite government intervention. Security forces maintain heightened presence in both areas while authorities work with traditional leaders to find lasting solutions to the disputes.
The recurring curfew renewals signal that while authorities have contained the immediate violence, underlying tensions persist. The gradual relaxation of hours from the original 6:00 pm to 6:00 am restrictions to the current midnight to 5:00 am timeframe suggests measured progress, though complete resolution remains elusive.
For residents, the extended curfew represents ongoing disruption to normal life and economic activities despite the more lenient hours compared to the initial emergency measures. The restrictions on motorbike riding and weapon possession continue affecting daily routines while authorities balance security needs against community welfare.
