Security Analyst Adib Sani has raised concerns over the insecurity in the northern parts of Ghana.
According to him, clashes and violence between herdsmen and some towns present a security threat for Ghana, describing the situation as alarming.
His warning follows recent clashes in the Upper East Region.
Speaking on the development with GBC Online, the Security Analyst called on the government and stakeholders to act towards stopping the trend of violence and improving security in the country.
He suggested convening a national platform on security matters in Northern Ghana.
“The reason is that there have been clashes…….in certain towns and villages in the Upper East region. The situation seems to be getting out of control because more people are getting killed and more homes are being torched, and we feel this poses a bit of a security problem for the country, especially as we work to combat terrorism.”
Adbi Sani said this ahead of a media briefing in Accra to call on authorities to intervene in the situation. He maintained that stopping the violence would deter terrorists from tapping into grievances.
“We wouldn’t want any terrorist group to rely on local grievances. You know they are opportunistic to establish ties and perhaps infiltrate. That is why we feel government must act because we also don’t want a situation whereby a certain group within the country feels marginalised because that would be catastrophic. Marginalisation leads to disenchantment, which obviously could lead to frustration and perhaps belligerence.”
He referred to cases of violence and abuse, warning of reprisal attacks if the situation was not stopped.
“We also wouldn’t want a situation where there would be reprisal attacks, counterattacks, and a cycle that never ends. So this press conference is meant to call for action, not just on the document but even on the diplomatic community, civil society organisations, the Peace Council, and all those who are working towards improving the security of the country, to do more to stop this violence.”
On the other hand, he urged herdsmen to rid their communities of criminals.
“We are not taking sides. We are calling on government to act, and it would also be a good opportunity for us to acknowledge the …… community to also do more to rid their communities of these criminals who are pushing them into disrepute and also cooperate with security services, and not in any way fall for the propaganda of terrorists who might want to take advantage of the situation.”
Adbi Sani further called on the media to be circumspect in their reporting.
“Largely, a lot of it has to do with stereotypes, and one of them has to do with the way we have reported issues affecting Fulanis. Government is a very important stakeholder. Even the Fulani community is an important stakeholder, as is the media. I will appeal to the media to be security-sensitive in our reportage because things said add to the negative stereotyping and fear of Fulanis. Inclusivity is extremely important. We have to get everybody to be part of the developmental process.”
