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A renowned diplomat, Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas, has urged President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to make it his cardinal goal to deliver an election in which no blood will be shed.
“It should not be under your watch that Ghana will experience violence and mayhem during this year’s general election. The year 2020 was, to some extent, a blot on our enviable record in delivering non-violent, peaceful elections. Let it not be repeated; let us draw a line there,” the African Union High Representative for Silencing the Guns, said.
He also urged the Electoral Commission (EC) to work to win the trust and confidence of all parties and stakeholders in the electoral process.
Specifically, Dr Chambas said the EC must ensure the publication of all polling station results on its website to advance and enhance the credibility and transparency of the process.
Dr Chambas was speaking at the maiden edition of the Diplomatic Awards in Accra last Saturday.
The event, which was on the theme: “Leveraging Diplomacy for Industrialisation, Sustainable Development, Peace and Security”, honoured and celebrated outstanding achievements in the field of diplomacy and international relations.
It honoured personalities who have made significant contributions towards national, regional and global peace and stability.
The event was graced by the Ga Mantse, King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II.
“My next message is to the security agencies. I have had the privilege of working with our women and men in uniform in several peacekeeping missions, and they have an enviable reputation.
They have often acted with commendable professionalism, winning the respect of citizens in missions in which they have been deployed across the world to protect vulnerable civilians.
“This same level of professionalism is called for during the deployment of our police and armed forces during elections,” Dr Chambas said.
“The use of lethal weapons is totally uncalled for. The police and their uniformed personnel must take the primary responsibility, with the armed forces coming in only in rare and exceptional cases,” he added.
Dr Chambas stated that from August, 2020 to October 2023, there had been 13 coups or coup attempts in Africa.
He said 6 African countries suffered eight successful coups during those three years, with Mali in August 2020 and May 2021, Chad in April 2021, Sudan in October 2021, Burkina Faso in January and September 2022, Guinea in September 2022 and Gabon in October 2023.
Currently, he said, Sudan presented the world's worst humanitarian catastrophe with more than 10 million people displaced internally, and two million externally, as refugees, with several thousands killed.
Dr Chambas said the state of Sudan was on the brink of total collapse, and that nearly one million people were on the verge of dying from starvation.
Since the start of this year, he said, more than 13,000 fatalities were attributable to terrorist attacks, and that for the last three years, the Sahel region had accounted for more than half the reported attacks on civilians by militant groups in Africa.
“In all of this, our beloved country remains the beacon of hope as we have demonstrated resilience in maintaining a peaceful, stable young democratic dispensation, and remarkable level of tolerance, social cohesion and national unity.
“Election years are often moments that threaten our reputation and exemplary status in Africa and the world at large,” the one-time Executive Secretary of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said.
“This year is no exception. Some will say 2024 is particularly tense, which frankly shouldn't be, as the country is blessed to have two fine gentlemen, two remarkable personalities, indeed, two brothers who have each made significant contributions to the peace and development of our country, facing off at the presidential election on December 7.
“One, a former President and the other the incumbent Vice-President. It cannot be, it should not be, and it must not be that it would be during their elections that Ghana's democracy will suffer a regrettable violent downturn,” Dr Chambas said.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, also highlighted the importance of diplomacy in the face of conflict, stating that it remained the most powerful arsenal for negotiation and conflict resolution.
She, however, said the world was currently beset with several crises which tended to undermine global peace and security.
“We must, therefore, collectively act decisively to safeguard the peace that we so cherish,” she said.
In that vein, Ms Ayorkor Botchwey acknowledged the indispensable roles of the traditional leaders and the various communities.
As custodians of the cultural heritage, she said, traditional rulers had played critical roles in conflict mediation and community development, which had brought invaluable perspectives in enriching the country’s peace-building efforts.
Similarly, she said, the business community drove economic diplomacy, fostering investments that created jobs, spurred innovation, and contributed to national development.
“Your contributions are essential, and we recognise your crucial role in our diplomatic engagements,” Ms Ayorkor Botchwey said.
She also commended members of the diplomatic corps for their commitment to fostering international relations, promoting peace and enhancing cooperation among countries.
