Rev. Fr. Lazarus Annyereh, Chairman of the Savannah Regional Peace Council, has expressed profound disappointment with law enforcement and political leadership following the tragic death of Mukila Ziblim, 35, who was fatally shot during electoral clashes in Damongo.
The incident occurred at the West Gonja Municipal Electoral Commission office, where tensions escalated into violence. Mukila succumbed to a gunshot wound to his chest after police reportedly fired live rounds to disperse a crowd of National Democratic Congress (NDC) youth who had attacked the collation center.
Rev. Fr. Annyereh, speaking on the matter, criticized both the police and NDC leadership for failing to prevent the escalation. “Let’s look at it from a dual point of view. The leadership of NDC was supposed to negotiate with the police, but in the end, I blame the military and the NDC for not upholding their peace commitments,” he said.
He lamented the implications for Damongo’s reputation and development. “I’m devastated about his death because elections are meant to give us good leadership. If elections lead to the murder of citizens, it impedes development,” he said.
The unrest saw some NDC youth vandalizing laptops, ballot boxes, and pink sheets before setting the Electoral Commission’s storeroom ablaze. The clashes resulted in multiple injuries, including one Electoral Commission official who is currently receiving treatment.
Hospital authorities confirmed Mukila’s death shortly after he arrived with a gunshot wound. His body has been deposited at the morgue.
This is the third death linked to election-related violence in the ongoing polls, following fatalities in the Northern and Central Regions.