The Minister for the Interior has withdrawn the curfew in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba township and nearby communities in the Savannah Region following a return to calm in the area.
The decision was contained in a statement signed by the Minister, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, and issued on Monday, December 8, 2025.
Mr Mohammed-Mubarak said the action followed advice from the Savannah Regional Security Council and was carried out through an Executive Instrument.
The curfew was first introduced on August 27, 2025, from 6.00 p.m. to 6.00 a.m. each day after violent clashes linked to a land dispute in Gbiniyiri. At least eleven people were confirmed dead within the first three days, according to the District Chief Executive for Sawla-Tuna-Kalba.
The clashes were linked to disagreements over a parcel of land reportedly sold by a local chief to a private developer.
Thousands of residents left their homes as the disturbances spread. Official figures showed that nearly 48,000 people were displaced, while more than 14,000 crossed into Burkina Faso and Côte d'Ivoire.
The Ministry later reviewed the curfew hours in September 2025 to run from 8.00 p.m. to 5.00 a.m., then adjusted them again in November to run from midnight to 5.00 a.m. as the situation improved.
In the statement lifting the restriction, Mr Mohammed-Mubarak appealed to chiefs, opinion leaders, youth groups and residents to continue using lawful means to address disputes.
The statement said government urged residents to avoid acts that could disturb the peace of the area.
The withdrawal of the curfew ends more than four months of restrictions in the district and reflects government’s assessment that order has been restored.
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