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The National Peace Council (NPC) is working to resolve about 10 ongoing conflicts in the Northern Region for sustainable peace.
The former Northern Regional Executive Secretary of the NPC, Rev. Fr Thaddeus Kuusah, said the conflicts primarily stemmed from chieftaincy and land disputes.
He, however, indicated that the ethnic dimension of these conflicts had significantly diminished over time.
"The main conflicts that are disturbing us are those in the eastern part of the region. In effect, there are almost 10 of them that the Peace Council is battling with, trying to bring solutions to the conflict," he stated.
Rev. Fr Kuusah said this at a stakeholders’ dialogue on strengthening civilian-security relations to prevent violent extremism.
The forum
The event was organised by the NPC in partnership with the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) under the Netherlands Embassy-supported Preventing Violent Extremism through Social Accountability (PoTVESA II) project.
It brought together youth groups, religious leaders, traditional authorities and security agencies with the aim of fostering trust and collaboration between civilians and security personnel, particularly in communities vulnerable to violent extremism.
Fr Kuusah pointed out that many conflicts tended to escalate in the region during the rainy season, a situation that extremist groups might exploit for recruitment and infiltration.
"Extremists thrive in areas where conflict already exists, as it gives them an opportunity to penetrate communities easily," he said.
He further cited youth unemployment, poor infrastructure, limited access to essential services and the absence of government’s presence in rural areas as contributory factors that created fertile ground for extremist ideologies.
Rev. Fr Kuusah, therefore, charged all stakeholders, including traditional leaders, youth groups, civil society organisations, and security agencies to work collaboratively to address the potential threat of violent extremism.
He added that collective action, dialogue and mutual trust were essential for building resilient communities capable of resisting radical influences.
“Preventing violent extremism is not the sole responsibility of security agencies. It requires the active involvement of every stakeholder in the community,” he stressed.
The Deputy Director for Conflict Management and Resolution at the NPC, Frank Wilson Bodza, commended the participants for their commitment to enhancing trust between communities and security services.
He said "there are many conflicts in Ghana, but the Northern Region is particularly vulnerable due to its history of violent conflicts and proximity to Sahelian countries where violent extremism is on the rise."
He emphasised the need for continuous engagement and information sharing between civilians and the security services to help deal with any potential threat.
