The Africa Centre for Security and Counterterrorism has praised the spontaneous return of displaced persons from Côte d’Ivoire to Gbiniyiri, describing it as a landmark moment that highlights the strength of community-led peace initiatives.
In a statement dated Thursday, September 11, the Centre noted that the voluntary repatriation of Gbiniyiri residents—who fled after the August 24 conflict that claimed over 30 lives and displaced an estimated 50,000 people—took place even before the government’s mediation committee could meet.
Of the displaced, about 13,000 crossed into Côte d’Ivoire, while thousands more were internally displaced within Ghana.
The Centre explained that the decision by communities to return home after consultations between President John Mahama and the Yagbonwura, Overlord of Gonjaland, demonstrates the effectiveness of peace efforts grounded in traditional authority and local leadership rather than external interventions.
“This spontaneous return, which precedes government mediation efforts, confirms that community-owned processes are central to rebuilding trust and ending violence,” the Centre stated.
At the same time, the Africa Centre cautioned that Gbiniyiri could fall into a cycle of recurring violence unless underlying structural challenges are addressed.
It identified land ownership disputes, unconsented land sales, competition over resources, and widespread youth unemployment as persistent triggers of conflict in northern Ghana.
“Bawku is a classic example of what happens when interventions only manage crises instead of transforming them,” the release noted. “Gbiniyiri must not follow the same path.”
The Centre highlighted the 1978 Alhassan Committee Report, which recommended reforms to land and chieftaincy systems, as a critical but still unresolved issue.
The failure to implement its proposals, it stressed, continues to fuel disputes across northern Ghana.
To ensure sustainable peace, the Centre outlined several urgent steps for government and development partners, including:
- Supporting community reconciliation efforts rather than sidelining them with external committees.
- Ensuring women and youth are included in peacebuilding processes.
- Delivering humanitarian aid alongside long-term development planning.
- Pursuing land reforms through constitutional review of chieftaincy and land governance.
- Promoting private sector growth to create jobs for young people.
- Establishing permanent, locally managed peace infrastructure to prevent future crises.
The Centre further urged civil society groups to document successful community-led peace efforts and hold stakeholders accountable for implementing meaningful reforms.
Executive Director Emmanuel Kotin warned that Ghana faces a defining moment.
“The spontaneous repatriation proves communities want peace. The government must now match this commitment with structural changes that address root causes,” he said.
He added that the situation in Gbiniyiri offers Ghana an opportunity to move away from perpetual crisis management and embrace genuine transformation that can secure lasting stability in the north.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
