The tension in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District has forced hundreds of residents, particularly women and children, to flee their homes for safety.

Communities that once bustled with life along the Sawla–Bole highway have been deserted. 

On a journey through the area on Monday, villages such as Seiyiri and Nasoyiri near Sawla, and Bodi, Kakiase, Gbogdaa, and Doli on the way to Bole, appeared abandoned, their usual vibrancy replaced with silence and fear.

At Gbogdaa, an elderly woman with a walking stick was spotted alone, seemingly left behind in the rush to escape. 

Many residents have sought safety at the Sawla Police Station, where a significant police presence is offering protection.

Security forces have stepped up operations, with all vehicles passing through the district subjected to thorough searches. 

The violence that erupted on Sunday over a parcel of land at Gbiniyiri has resulted in the death of six people, while 18 others have sustained various degrees of injuries.