Over 13,000 Ghanaians Now Refugees in Côte d’Ivoire Following Gbiniyiri Land Dispute
- The government has given updates on the number of Ghanaians with refugee status in Côte d’Ivoire after the Gbiniyiri violence
- Minister for the Interior Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka has said work is ongoing to ensure calm in Gbiniyiri
- The violence has claimed 31 lives and displaced thousands across about 12 communities in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District
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The government has said 13,253 Ghanaians have been displaced and crossed into Côte d’Ivoire following clashes over land at Gbiniyiri in the Savannah Region.
Minister for the Interior Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka announced this figure on September 4.
Source: Facebook
He told Joy News the government was working with traditional leaders and the National Peace Council to restore calm.
"Hopefully by tomorrow or at least by Monday, we are setting up a committee to investigate all this and then come out with a report on how best we can avoid this from recurring."
The clashes, which started on Sunday, August 24, have claimed 31 lives and displaced thousands across about 12 communities in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District.
The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) had earlier estimated that more than 48,000 people, mainly women and children, were affected. Out of this number, about 14,000 were reported to have sought refuge in Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire.
The Interior Minister added that families had abandoned their livelihoods, which could worsen food insecurity in the area if the conflict persisted.
“Many of them left their farms for the areas where they find themselves now. Their animals, their food, their farms and all those are left unattended. And if we don’t resolve this quickly, we are going to lead to a lot of food insecurity in that area."
Over 700 personnel had been deployed to the conflict zone.
Chief’s son, four others among first deaths
The son of a chief and four other people were killed at Gbiniyiri, marking some of the first deaths.
The violence was sparked by a land dispute and also resulted in six people sustaining various injuries.
The violence is linked to the chief selling a parcel of land to a private developer.
When the developer began work, some community members resisted, and the tensions escalated when the chief and his son visited the site and were attacked.
Three of the victims are in a critical condition. Security personnel have since been deployed to restore peace.
According to Joy News, the chief of Gbiniyiri was forced to flee his palace and seek shelter at the Kalba chief's palace following the clash.
A police source disclosed that the following day, as the chief of Gbiniyiri was returning to his community, the Kalba chief instructed his son to accompany him.
Kusasi chief reportedly killed by unknown assailants
YEN.com.gh reported that the Kusasi Chief in the Ashanti Region and head of the Kadi Divisional Area in Binduri, Abdul-Malik Azenbe, was shot dead by unknown assailants.
He was killed on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, at his residence near the Asawase F-line community centre.
According to eyewitnesses, two men arrived at the residence on a motorbike at around and fired multiple shots at the chief before they sped off. This contributed to a motorbike ban.
Source: YEN.com.gh
