President John Dramani Mahama has raised serious concerns about the rising number of ethnic, land, and chieftaincy-related conflicts across the country, describing the situation as a “major headache” for his administration.
Speaking at a meeting with the National Peace Council at the Jubilee House on Wednesday, December 10, the President said the increasing tensions were exerting significant pressure on national security agencies deployed to keep the peace in volatile areas.
President Mahama explained that many of the disputes stem from deep-rooted disagreements over chieftaincy, ethnicity, and land, cautioning that their spread poses a threat to national stability.
“All of us are concerned about the proliferation of conflicts across our country. There’s a rising intolerance, and it’s as a result of disagreements, first and foremost, to do with chieftaincy. It is putting a lot of pressure on our security services,” he stated.
He noted that long-term deployments have stretched security personnel thin in several conflict zones.
“A lot of our security services are tied down in conflict areas. Sampa, we have a whole contingent there. If you go to Bawku and Nkwanta, we have a whole contingent there. Recently, Savannah, we had a whole contingent there; we have not withdrawn them yet. And yet, there are so many of these all over the country. It has to do with ethnic and land disputes. It’s become a major headache for the government,” he said.
The President called on the National Peace Council to intensify mediation and conflict-resolution efforts to help restore peace in affected communities.
“That is why we need to resort to the Peace Council to be able to carry out its mandate,” he appealed.
