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Parliament extends northern emergency

    ABIDJAN

    Ghana's parliament has prolonged by another four weeks the state of emergency imposed on the north of the country in late March, to contain fighting between neighbouring communities, local news organisations reported.

    The 123 member parliament, which voted on Wednesday for the extension, also reduced the curfew time by one hour. It now runs from 21:00 GMT to 5:00 GMT.

    Fighting broke out on 25 March between neighbouring clans, the Andani and the Abudu, of the Dagbon traditional area, Northern Region, over celebrations of the area's annual Fire Festival. Dozens of people were killed including the Paramount Chief, Ya-Na Yakubu Andani III.

    Local media quoted acting Interior Minister Kwame Addo-Kufuor as telling the parliamentarians that although security in the area had improved the "situation does not justify the lifting of the state of emergency now, and that it is in the public interest".

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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