All is set for some female victims of the Gbinyiri conflict, who lost their husbands and suddenly became widows in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba and Bole Districts of the Savannah Region, to walk half-naked to the Jubilee House to demand the bodies of their late husbands.
The widows, many of whom are currently in the Western, Central, and Eastern Regions, said they are ready and waiting for the arrival of their counterparts from Vonkoro in Côte d’Ivoire and Kpere in Burkina Faso.
The walk has been scheduled for October 24 in Accra.
They expressed trust in President John Dramani Mahama, describing him as a father figure, and appealed to him to listen to their plight so their husbands can finally be laid to rest.
Speaking to JoyNews in a telephone interview from the Eastern Region, the leader of the group, known only as Madam Bour, said:
“We are not against anybody. All we need are the bodies of our husbands. How will you beat a child and at the same time deny him the natural right to cry?” she asked.
The widows also pleaded with traditional leaders, youth groups, and both public and private stakeholders to intervene on their behalf.
“Our respect for all stakeholders in this matter is not in doubt. We are pleading with traditional heads, youth, public and private bodies to have mercy on us, the poor widows, and allow our husbands to be laid to rest according to our tradition and custom, because we can’t sleep during the night,” they added.
The widows were initially scheduled to carry out the protest on September 26, but were persuaded to hold back. However, they now say they will not compromise on their mission.
As part of the demonstration, the women plan to tie red bands on their heads, strip down to their underwear, and walk barefoot through selected streets of Accra before converging at the Jubilee House, where they hope to address the President directly without reading a written statement.
Meanwhile, some widows who have returned to Chancheri, Gbinyiri, and Kalba communities have declined to join the protest.
