ACCRA, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Ghanaian government has established a seven-member committee to restore peace in Gbinyiri, Savannah Region, following ethnic clashes.
Interior Minister Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, who inaugurated the committee on Monday in the country's capital, Accra, said that its formation was directed by the National Security Council in response to the escalating conflict, which erupted on Aug. 23.
He urged the committee to work toward facilitating the safe return of displaced residents, assessing the extent of the conflict and its impact, promoting reconciliation among the affected groups, and recommending sustainable mechanisms for peace-building and institutional strengthening.
The mediation committee has one month to present its findings and recommendations to the government to the way for long-term peace and stability in the Savannah Region.
Violent clashes between the Brifo and Gonja ethnic groups in late August over disputed land resulted in the death of 31 people, injured several, and left many displaced, with some 13,253 fleeing to Cote d'Ivoire, while farms, markets, and businesses remain abandoned or destroyed. ■
