President John Dramani Mahama has urged those involved in the Nkwanta conflict to lay down their arms, describing ongoing violence that has claimed lives including students as “completely unacceptable.”

The President made this call during his thank you tour to the Oti Region on Friday at the Dambai College of Education, where he expressed concern about disturbing security reports and called for dialogue to end the conflict.

“I wish to appeal to all those in Nkwanta who are involved in the conflict, to please lay down your arms.

“Every once in a while, in the security reports, I read very disturbing news about people who have died, including students. It’s completely unacceptable,” he emphasised.

The President’s remarks came after a traditional ruler requested the establishment of a military barracks in the region, prompting Mahama to question why military infrastructure is needed instead of development projects.

“Why should we be wanting a military barracks? It’s because we’re fighting. We should be asking for hospitals and schools and jobs and things, not military camps,” he noted.

The government has committed to providing appropriate security measures to ensure residents can conduct their business without fear of harm, as the President linked the ongoing conflict to broader development challenges in the region.

“All this infrastructure development I’ve talked about cannot take place if we do not have peace,” Mahama emphasized, connecting security stability to the region’s economic progress.

The President called for the use of traditional conflict resolution mechanisms, stressing that the warring communities are “one and the same people” who should coexist peacefully.

“Let’s dialogue. Let’s use our traditional mechanisms to establish peace. Because we have to live together,” he said, adding that poverty, not internal conflict, should be identified as the common enemy.

“Our common enemy is poverty, not ourselves. We should be fighting poverty, not fighting each other,” the President stated.

The security concerns in Nkwanta have overshadowed development efforts in the Oti Region, with Mahama emphasizing that peace is a prerequisite for the various infrastructure projects the government plans to implement.

The President assured that government will ensure adequate security presence to protect citizens while encouraging dialogue and peaceful coexistence among the affected communities.

Richard Aniagyei, ISD