President Adama Barrow has called for calm in the ongoing land dispute between the residents of Gunjur and Berending.

A press release issued by the Office of the President on Sunday states:

“President Barrow is advising both sides to exercise maximum restraint and calm. He equally calls on the two communities to allow local authorities and the deployed law enforcement agencies to do their jobs.

“The president urges people not to take the law into their own hands, especially on

matters of land ownership. The government has instituted a Land Commission,

where all matters relating to land issues should be addressed.”

The communal violence which started on Saturday has claimed the life of one protester and many others have sustained injuries including gunshot wounds.

On Saturday the Inspector General of Police, Mamour Jobe, was set upon by an angry mob when he visited the area to assess the situation.

Despite the heavy presence of security personnel two protestors were reported to have been shot on Sunday.

The Kombo South region has recently seen a spike in communal clashes between residents over land ownership.