Farmers and Fulani herders in the Karaga district in the Northern region had decided to engage in collective engagement to address tensions.
This farmer- herder conflict has become a recurring challenge for the karaga district which occurs between local farmers and the Fulani 2M herdsmen, over grazing destroying of crops and water source in the Karaga district.
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STAR Ghana Foundation organised Training on Mediation and Conflict Resolution in Karaga as part of Conflict, Security and Stability Fund (CSSF) Project in Northern Ghana Funded by the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
The project implement in the North has been working with the local partners was to test innovative integrated approaches to address the problems of conflict, insecurity, and under-development in selected districts and communities in northern Ghana.
Mr Aaron Atimpe, Project Manager on Conflict Security and Stability Fund (CSSF), STAR Ghana Foundation (SGF) who highlighted on the project stated that the project would support stakeholders at the grassroots level to co-create and co-implement innovative approaches to address, identified conflict and insecurity issues in collaboration with the Karaga Peace Ambassadors and the Karaga Youth Centre.
The event was attended with members from selected communities in Karaga District to discuss and build consensus on finding sustainable solutions to conflicts arising from farmer-herder tensions and disagreements.
Mr Atimpe said the formation of Community Monitors formed by SGF as part of the CSSF project would collaborate with district security agencies and traditional authorities to mediate and resolve conflicts and was also recommended from the consultative forum.
He said the Karaga Peace Ambassadors, and the Karaga Youth Centre in consultation with the district assembly, community members and leaders constituted the community monitors on early caution on conflict.
Reverend Father Thaddeus Kuusah, the Northern Regional Executive Secretary Peace Council advised the community monitors to listen to people conversation, check the movement of the people and also the behaviour of members in the communities as part of the early warning sign of conflict.
Madam Lamnatu Adam, Executive Director of Songtaba Organisation called on actors to involve women’s in the participation resolving conflict and peace building in the country.
She urged stakeholders to create economic empowerment opportunities for women through credit union groups and other livelihoods program in the districts level to enhance condition of living.
Detective Lance Corporal Nyarko N. Maxwell, District Criminal Investigation Department advised the community’s members to report any conflicts cases to the Police to deal with and they should not take the law in their own hand by reacting towards conflict issues.
The event brought together members and leadership of the selected communities and other relevant stakeholders to discuss and agree on a roadmap for addressing all farmer-herder related conflicts in the communities.
The two days training was also part, to outdoor the community monitors, provide an overview of their roles and educate community stakeholders on mediation and the activities of violent extremists. It will also involve a technical session to build the capacities of the community monitors in mediation and peaceful conflict resolution to perform their duties within the communities.
SOURCE: NEWS GHANA
