In recent years, the Builsa South District in the Upper East Region has been plagued by a recurring issue of conflict between farmers and herders.
As part of efforts to address the situation and other conflict issues in the district, the Upper East Regional Peace Council (UERPC) has held stakeholder dialogue sessions in Builsa South to deliberate on ways to promote social cohesion and mutual understanding among community members, security personnel, and Fulbe settlers.
The dialogue, which was held on 18th March 2024 at Kanjarga and the 20th March at Dogninga respectively under the theme “Community dialogue to strengthen relations with Fulbe groups and establish community peace committees in Dogninga and Kanjaga in Builsa South,” brought together various stakeholders including traditional leaders, a team from the Ghana Immigration Service, the media, some religious leaders, and members of the Fulbe community.
It also sought to explore collaborative efforts between local communities and security personnel to counter the threat of activities of extremist groups to enhance peace and stability in the district and the region at large.
The event formed part of the Preventing Violent Extremism Atlantic Corridor project being implemented by the council with funding support from the Government of Denmark through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Australia Aid.
Implemented along the border and conflict-prone communities, the project also seeks to address underlying issues such as communal violence and stereotyping that have the potential to breed violent extremism in target communities.
Topical among issues discussed at the event were farmer-herder conflicts, stereotyping, communal disputes, misunderstandings, and discrimination.
Source: oyerepafmonline.com/Edmond Kwaching Agwaazeh, Upper East Regional Correspondent
