By Albert Futukpor
Tamale, Feb 26, GNA – A workshop dubbed: “Managing the Agropastoral Sector in the Cross-border Area between Burkina Faso and Ghana: Harmonising Mechanisms and Tools”, has been held to discuss the best way to manage cross-border movement of people and herds from Burkina Faso to Ghana.
The two-day workshop, which ended in Tamale, was attended by key stakeholders in the livestock sector from Burkina Faso, including local assemblies from Burkina Faso and Ghana, whose territories receive herders on daily basis, representatives from the Fulbe community, traditional authorities, whose communities receive herders amongst others.
It was organised as part of the phase three of the Supporting Agropastoralism to Reinforce Social Cohesion in the cross-border territories of Ghana – Burkina Faso (SAPSOC) project, which is being implemented by Acting for Life, RECOPA and Changing Lives in Innovative Partnerships (CLIP) with support from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office using the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund.
Mr Lukman Yussif, Director, CLIP, speaking at the workshop, said although the movement of people and herders to Ghana presented some challenges to the country, there was need to put in place mechanisms to take advantage of the opportunities it presented as well.
Over the past five years the security situation in Mali and Burkina Faso has destabilised the whole West African region particularly the cross-border zone between the Sahel and coastal countries.
The expansion of extremist armed groups maximising on pre-existing local tensions has created an environment of fear and mistrust amongst communities, who have been pushed into urban zones or further south over the border into neighbouring countries in search of refuge.
The past six months have been marked by a further decline in security particularly in the Eastern Region in Burkina Faso where the livestock market at Fada N’Gourma is currently saturated by local communities destocking their herds.
The cross-border zone between Burkina Faso and northern Ghana has become critical as the closure of borders with Bénin and Togo has forced herders and refugees to concentrate on Ghana as a safe space to provide vital resources for their livestock and lodging for their families away from threats and attacks.
It was against this background that the workshop was organised to assess the general insecurity situation, especially in the Sahelian region
Mr Yussif said, “We are enjoying peace and in relation to transhumance, Ghana as a country, we face a huge deficit in our meat requirements; majority of the livestock is from the Sahelian countries.”
He added that “And so, if there is any opportunity that brings more livestock from Sahel into Ghana, we need to look at the economic aspect; we know that as they come in, they bring quality breeds that we can use to improve our local breeds.”
He said, “Again, there is evidence in some key areas for example in the Salaga area where the presence of transhumance has resulted in the creation of a livestock market and we know that where there is a livestock market, there is a huge employment opportunity because of the numerous people engaged in the livestock value chain.”
He said there was need for the country to put in place the relevant internal structures and mechanisms to better accommodate transhumance herders and to prepare the ground in a way that they lived peacefully with host communities.
Amir Osman Bin Ahmed, National Vice President of Fulbe Chiefs and Member, Ghana Cattle Ranching Committee, said the influx of people and herders from Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger to Ghana had advantages and disadvantages expressing need for authorities to put in place measures to identify the herders and owners of the cattle and the quantities of cattle brought into the country.
He said, “If we do our work well, the assemblies can gain more in terms of revenue; their coming will lead to opening of more markets, increase meat, and milk supply in the country.”
Annabelle Powell, Programme Manager of Acting for Life, a French organisation, also reiterated the need to maximise the economic opportunities presented by the movement of herders to districts in the country.
GNA