ACCRA, Sept 11 (The African Portal) – The Gbinyiri Mediation Committee has begun its work by formulating a roadmap and designing a process for inclusive dialogue with communities and stakeholders in Gbinyiri and other conflict-affected areas.
The committee was established on September 8, 2025, by Ghana’s Minister for the Interior, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, following communal clashes between the Gbinyiri and the Gonja communities in the Savannah Region of northern Ghana.
In a statement issued on Thursday, September 11, the Committee clarified that its roles and responsibilities do not include inviting the warring parties to a table to engage in negotiations on any matter, including land.
“Rather, the body is actively engaging key actors, including chiefs, elders, community leaders, civil society organisations, religious leaders, women and youth associations as well as other influencing voices of reason in preparation for bilateral stakeholder dialogues and a collective intercommunal dialogue,” the statement signed by its Chairperson, Emmanuel Habuka Bombande, a security expert, stated.
The Chairperson of the Committee said the focus remains on fostering healing and rebuilding intercommunal trust to enable the safe return of refugees from Ghana’s borders with Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso, as well as internally displaced persons to their homes.
“The return of peace that is sustainable between people who have co-existed for more than a century is the main focus,” he stated.
The Committee called on all Ghanaians to embody national solidarity and extend support to the people of Gbinyiri and neighbouring communities.
“Everyone, whether individuals, organisations, or associations is urged to refrain from public statements and sharing content on social media that might escalate tensions or undermine ongoing peace efforts. All media houses, journalists, bloggers and online platforms are urged to exercise the highest standard of professionalism in reporting this matter and be guided by conflict sensitive journalism.”
At least 30 people have been killed in the ongoing land dispute at Gbinyiri in the Savannah Region.
The conflict, which has spread to about 12 communities in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District, has displaced an estimated 50,000 people, mostly women and children, according to the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO).
About 14,000 victims have crossed into neighbouring Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire to seek refuge, while thousands of others are being housed in makeshift camps in Sawla under the care of the Ghana Red Cross and NADMO.
The clashes, which began on Sunday, August 24, were reportedly triggered by a disagreement over a parcel of land.
