Several feared dead as boat capsizes on White Volta amid Sawla-Tuna-Kalba clashes

An unidentified number of people fleeing communal violence in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District of the Savannah Region have drowned after their boat capsized on the White Volta while attempting to cross into neighbouring Côte d’Ivoire. The victims were escaping renewed clashes around Gbenyiri when their vessel overturned near the Dinie-Tuonbo enclave.

Savannah Regional NADMO Director, Mahama Zakaria, confirmed that six passengers were rescued, but several others remain unaccounted for beneath the river. A NADMO-led search and rescue team has since been deployed to recover the missing persons.

Officials caution that the death toll may rise as hundreds of displaced residents are still stranded at Dinie, awaiting safe passage. Zakaria stressed that, “The priority now is to save lives and retrieve those still missing.”

The White Volta, one of Ghana’s largest rivers, has a troubling record of fatal boat disasters, often linked to overcrowding, unsafe vessels, and the lack of life jackets. This latest tragedy underscores the urgent need for improved safety measures to protect vulnerable populations during crises.