More than 50,000 people have been displaced following violent land clashes in Gbinyiri in the Savannah Region, prompting government intervention through the establishment of a high-powered mediation committee to restore peace.
The clashes, which broke out on August 23, 2025, in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District, have since spread to neighbouring villages, leaving dozens dead, homes and farms destroyed, and thousands forced to flee for safety.
Interior Minister Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, speaking at the inauguration of the committee in Accra, described the situation as one of the most devastating communal conflicts in recent times. “We are confronted not just with a security challenge, but a humanitarian crisis,” he said.
The seven-member team, chaired by conflict resolution expert Emmanuel Bombande, is tasked with developing a roadmap for peace within a month. Other members include Alhaji Collins Dauda, Reverend Father Lazarus Annyere, Dr. Festus Aubyn, Sylvia Hormane Noagbesenu, Professor Ramatu Alhassan, and Dr. George Amoh, who will serve as secretary.
The committee’s mandate goes beyond conflict mediation. It is also expected to facilitate the safe return of displaced persons, assess the scale of destruction, and propose sustainable peace-building mechanisms to prevent a recurrence.
For many families, however, the focus remains on survival. Relief agencies warn of worsening humanitarian conditions as displaced residents, including women and children, shelter in temporary camps with limited access to food, water, and medical care.
Civil society groups have welcomed the committee’s inauguration but stressed the need for urgent humanitarian assistance alongside peace talks. “People cannot wait a month for peace when they are hungry and homeless today,” one aid worker said.
The Interior Minister assured affected communities that government will provide full logistical support to the committee and relief assistance to victims, noting that “healing and reconciliation must go hand in hand with humanitarian recovery.”
The committee is expected to submit its recommendations within one month to guide government efforts in ensuring long-term stability and development in the Savannah Region.
