By Salawatu Zuberu
More than 13,000 Ghanaians have fled into neighbouring Côte d’Ivoire following violent clashes over land at Gbinyiri in the Savannah Region, the Minister for the Interior, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, has confirmed.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Thursday, September 4, Mr. Muntaka said figures from both Ghanaian and Ivorian authorities put the number of refugees at 13,253.
“As of yesterday, working with the Ivorian authorities, we can confirm that about 13,000 individuals are in Côte d’Ivoire. The exact number communicated to us by the government is 13,253,” he disclosed.
Displacement Across Four Regions
The minister explained that the clashes, which escalated in late August, have displaced people across four regions. While some remain internally displaced in the Upper West and Savannah regions, many others have crossed the border into Côte d’Ivoire.
“We have displaced persons across about four regions… some substantial number also crossed the river. If you know the terrain very well, it has a border community with Côte d’Ivoire,” Mr. Muntaka added.
Support and Relief Efforts
Mr. Muntaka assured that government agencies, local assemblies, and international partners were working together to assist the displaced. He expressed gratitude to Côte d’Ivoire for hosting the refugees and acknowledged the role of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
“We are supporting them the best that we can, and let me take this opportunity to also thank the government of Côte d’Ivoire for the support that they are giving us in the cooperation, and then the UNHCR for their support,” he said.
He also praised the security services, who he said had been stretched but remained committed to maintaining peace.
“My special thanks goes to them because, believe me, they have been oversweat. We thank them so much for the sacrifice that they are making. We don’t take their sacrifices lightly,” he noted.
Traditional Leaders and Peace Talks
According to the Interior Minister, government continues to engage traditional authorities and the Peace Council in search of a lasting solution.
“This morning, the delegation of the Gonjaland leadership with the peace council is meeting the Yagbonwura. And I’m very optimistic about the way we are working. Hopefully by tomorrow or at least by Monday, we are setting up a committee to investigate all this and then come out with a report on how best we can avoid this from recurring,” he stated.
Risk of Food Insecurity
Mr. Muntaka expressed concern that the crisis could deepen food insecurity in the affected areas, since many families fled their farms and livestock behind.
“Once we sit at the committee and today’s meeting with Yagbonwura concludes very well, we may be able to announce to all the displaced persons to return to their homes because of this farming season. Many of them left their animals and their farms, and all those were left unattended. If we don’t resolve this quickly, it will lead to a lot of food insecurity in that area,” he cautioned.
He stressed that government was working “tirelessly with all the traditional authorities to ensure that normalcy is returned.”
