The Interior Minister Hon Muntaka Mubarak held private discussions with the King and Overlord of the Gonjaland Traditional Council, Jira Yagbonwura Bi-Kunuto Jewu Soale I, seeking a permanent resolution to the ongoing Gbiniyiri clashes.
The minister and his delegation reached the Jakpa Palace, headquarters of the Gonja kingdom, at 11 am today.
The Interior Minister, who also serves as MP for Asawase Constituency, brought a substantial government team to the meeting that included Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources and MP for Bole Bamboi Alhaji Yussif Suleman, Savannah Regional Minister Hon Salisu Bia Wurbe, and senior officers from multiple security agencies including the Ghana Police Service, Criminal Investigation Department, Ghana Armed Forces, Immigration Service, and additional security units.
The traditional side was represented by Yagbonwura Bi-Kunuto Jewu Soale I, who serves dual roles as the Gonja King and President of the Savannah Regional House of Chiefs. Paramount chiefs from Damongo, Kusawgu, and other areas also attended the discussions.
Authorities deployed extensive security around both the palace grounds and throughout the town during the high-level meeting.
The violence has created a major humanitarian emergency, with data from the Ghana Red Cross Society and National Disaster Management Organisation revealing that over 43,000 people have been internally displaced and are staying in camps in Sawla.
An additional 51,000 residents have crossed international borders, seeking safety in Cote D’Ivoire and Burkina Faso.
The scale of displacement demonstrates the urgent need for the peace negotiations taking place at the palace.
Richard Aniagyei, ISD
