Savannah: The Savannah Regional Peace Council has appealed to all parties in the Gbinyiri conflict in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba (STK) area to ceasefire in the interest of peace and innocent victims.
According to Ghana News Agency, a statement signed by Reverend Father Lazarus Annyereh, Chairman of the Council, expressed deep concern over the violent clashes between the Brifors and the Gonjas in the STK and Bole Districts, which erupted on August 23 over ownership of less than half a plot of land.
The violence has left more than 16 people dead, hundreds injured, and over 1,000 displaced, while farms, markets, and businesses remain abandoned or destroyed. Communities have been deserted, severely affecting livelihoods and the local economy.
The Council acknowledged interventions by security agencies, the Savannah Regional Coordinating Council, and development partners to restore calm, but stressed that a lasting solution requires commitment from those controlling the fighters to stop the killings and embrace dialogue.
It said both parties were aware of the historical facts underlying the conflict, and urged their leaders to create space for dialogue, noting that misconceptions and lack of engagement had fueled the violence rather than disagreements over land ownership.
The statement appealed to the Overlord of the Gonja Kingdom, his council of chiefs, the Gonjaland Youth Association, Brifor and Lobis elders and youth associations to act swiftly to halt the violence, warning that 'anything considered a gain through violence is, in reality, a total loss.'
It cautioned that continued destruction of lives and property would deepen deprivation and weaken development, adding, 'Retaliatory violence poses a severe threat to our common humanity. It is our moral obligation to protect the future of the living and the unborn.'
