By Solomon Gumah
Walewale (NE/R), June 12, GNA – Mr Benjamin Dimongso Kafari, Executive Director of Aid for Socioeconomic and Rural Development (ASERD-GHANA) has said criminal acts committed by a few Fulbes individuals should not be attributed to the entire ethnic group.
He noted that the practice of associating isolated criminal activities with all Fulbes continued to fuel discrimination, mistrust, and social exclusion undermining efforts to promote peaceful coexistence and national development.
Mr Kafari made the remarks when he addressed participants at the North East Regional Conference of Tabital Pulaaku International, a Fulbe organisation, at Walewale in the West Mamprusi Municipality.
The conference, which brought together traditional leaders, government officials, security personnel, Fulbe leaders, women, youth groups and development practitioners, was on the theme: “Farmer-Herder Peace: A Collective Responsibility of All Stakeholders.”
Mr Kafari, who is also consultant to the National Council of Fulbe Chiefs in Ghana, called on the media, opinion leaders, educational institutions, religious organisations and civil society groups to promote responsible communication, intercultural dialogue, and peace education.
He urged journalists to avoid inflammatory reporting and ethnic profiling and said such practices often deepened divisions and heightened tensions between communities.
He noted that farmer-herder conflicts remained one of the most complex challenges facing rural communities across Ghana and the wider West African sub-region, driven by increasing competition over land and water resources, climate change, environmental degradation, population growth, misinformation, and weak conflict management systems.
He said despite the challenges, sustainable peace was achievable through dialogue, justice, inclusion, cooperation, and mutual respect among all stakeholders.
Mr Kafari commended Tabital Pulaaku International for creating a platform that promoted understanding and constructive engagement amongst farmers, herders, and other interest groups.
He highlighted the significant contribution of Fulbe communities to Ghana’s economy through livestock production, dairy farming, meat supply, trade, and other rural livelihood activities.
He stressed that farmer-herder peace was a shared responsibility and called for stronger collaboration amongst government institutions, traditional authorities, security agencies, development partners, civil society organisations and community members to address tensions and build lasting peace.
He spoke on resource-based conflicts saying disputes over grazing lands, water sources and farmlands continued to trigger tensions in many communities due to changing land-use patterns, climate variability, and growing pressure on natural resources.
He called for effective land-use planning, the establishment of designated grazing corridors and watering points, and the strengthening of community-based mediation mechanisms involving farmers, herders, traditional authorities, women, and youth.
He called for the establishment of early warning and conflict resolution systems as well as transparent compensation arrangements for affected parties.
Mr Kafari expressed concern that some Fulani communities continued to face challenges in obtaining national identification cards, birth certificates and other legal documents limiting their access to education, healthcare, and other essential public services.
He appealed to state institutions to intensify mobile registration exercises and civic education campaigns to ensure that vulnerable groups were not left behind.
GNA
Edited by Eric K. Amoh/Linda Asante Agyei