Gbiniyiri Tensions: Security Analyst Outlines Priority Areas for Mediation Committee

• A security analyst has outlined some priority areas as the Ghanaian government begins mediation efforts in the Gbiniyiri land dispute
• The violence in the region of the country has claimed 31 lives and displaced thousands around 12 communities in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District
• The government has said over 13,000 Ghanaians have been displaced during the conflict and have crossed over into neighbouring Côte d’Ivoire

Amid the tensions in Gbiniyiri in the Savannah Region, a security analyst has stressed the importance of formal consensus and documentation of land ownership in the area as mediation efforts begin.

Mohammed Kataba noted to YEN.com.gh that the government probably does not have localised knowledge about the conflict and its causes.

Kataba believes the seven-member committee tasked with mediating and promoting reconciliation in the Gbiniyiri land conflict could be pivotal in this regard.

"There is no localised or internalised assessment of the situation. That is why you can see that the committee has been formed to get to the root causes of the matter."

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He explained that a lot of history is orally transmitted, and there is no documentation of ownership of land.

Ghana's land tenure system has been problematic in this regard.

The analyst expects people with local knowledge to provide accounts that will help the committee understand the conflict areas better.

“We should map the various conflict areas in Ghana, then there should be documentary evidence of the areas and the cause of the violence.”

“The land tenure system is a bit problematic in areas where there is not a lot of documentation or there is no one key traditional leader. If you go to the Ashanti Region, for instance, all lands are vested in the Asantehene.”

The violence broke out on August 24 and has been traced to the sale of a parcel of land to a private developer by a chief without broader community consent.

When the developer attempted to access the land to begin work, it led to the recent eruption of violence.

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The violence spread across about 12 communities in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District, which is now under curfew.

The government has said over 13,200 Ghanaians are refugees in neighbouring Côte d’Ivoire following the clashes.

In all, over 50,000 people have been displaced amid the deaths of over 30 people.

Kataba said this situation was dire and a 'very bad situation' that required urgent attention.

"You ensure that they are safe and have basic amenities to take care of themselves. I have seen videos where people are living on the streets. It's not a very humane environment for them to be living in.”

About the Gbiniyiri peace committee

On September 9, the Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, inaugurated a seven-member committee to oversee mediation of tensions in Gbiniyiri.

President John Mahama has ordered increased security in the area, leading to the deployment of over 700 security personnel.

The mediation committee is being chaired by Emmanuel Habuka Bombande of the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP).

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The mandate is tasked to facilitate the safe return of displaced persons, assess the scale of destruction, encourage dialogue, propose measures to sustain peace, and strengthen local institutions against future violence.

The other members of the committee are Alhaji Collins Dauda, the chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Lands and Natural Resources; Rev Fr Lazarus Annyereh, Chair of the Savannah Regional Peace Council; Dr Festus Aubyn of WANEP; Sylvia Horname Noagbesenu, the Acting Director of the Women, Youth, Peace and Security Institute at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre; Prof Ramatu Alhassan of the University of Ghana; and Dr George Amoh, Executive Secretary of the National Peace Council.

Gbiniyiri tension: Man shot dead at Kalba

YEN.com.gh reported on September 8 that a man was killed near Kalba, a suburb of the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District, amid the Gbiniyiri land dispute.

The victim was reportedly travelling from his community, called Uro, which has no electricity, to Kalba to charge his phone when he was attacked.

Proofreading by Bruce Douglas, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.

Source: YEN.com.gh