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Residents of the two communities embroiled in the land dispute in the Gushiegu District in the Northern Region have fled their respective communities for fear of further reprisal attacks and arrest by the police. The farming communities of Yiyemba and Beriba, about 34 kilometres from Gushiegu, have now been deserted. Except for some few women and their children, all the male residents have either relocated to neighbouring towns or to their farms. Although there are no schools in the affected towns, children from those communities usually travel to a nearby town, Katani, to attend school. Following the tension in the area, they are not able to attend school. DCE According to the Gushiegu District Chief Executive, Alhaji Alhassan Fuseini, calm had now returned to the communities since the renewed conflict last Wednesday that claimed three lives and injured two people in a reprisal attack on Yiyemba. Six houses were burnt in the process at Yiyemba. "Since the last incident, we have not recorded any violence in the area again, except for the fact that the men have fled the towns for fear of arrest and their lives," he stated. Return home Alhaji Fuseini, therefore, appealed to them to return home, assuring them of their safety and security. He indicated that a joint military and police personnel team had stepped up their presence and patrols in the communities. DISEC The chief executive said the District Security Committee (DISEC) held a meeting yesterday to deliberate on measures and come out with strategies to contain the growing insecurity situation in those communities. He expressed concern over the internecine conflict between the two communities, and appealed to the people to cooperate with the committee to find a lasting solution to their differences. Background The two feuding Konkomba communities, Yiyemba and Beriba, have been engaged in a protracted land dispute over some period now. The said parcel of land is situated in-between the two communities that is located about 34 kilometers from the Gushiegu township, the district capital. Two weeks ago, the people of Yiyemba were alleged to have attacked Beriba, leading to the death of one person, Mohammed Diwiri, and the burning of 30 houses.