Communal clash in Ghana kills 31, displace 48,000

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A communal clash in Northern Ghana, which began last month, has led to the death of more than 31 people and displaced thousands of residents.

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The communal clash in the Gbiniyiri community in Bounkani region, near the Ghana–Côte d’Ivoire border, is a result of an escalating land dispute that has spread to a dozen other communities.

Multiple news outlets reported on Thursday that Ghanaian officials said more than 13,000 people fled across the border into the Côte d’Ivoire.

According to Ghana’s National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), about 48,000 people, primarily women and children, have been displaced from their homes.

“For the past five days, we haven’t had any gunshots, killings, or attacks,” NADMO Director Zakaria Mahama was quoted as saying.

According to Bounkani Regional Council president Philippe Hien, more than 13,000 people have arrived in 17 villages in neighbouring Ivory Coast, which is already home to 30,000 refugees from conflict-hit Burkina Faso.

The conflict started after the local chief sold land to a private developer without community approval, according to the local news media.

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When the developer tried to take possession, residents resisted, sparking violence.

Tensions escalated when the chief’s palace was set on fire.

While land and chieftaincy disputes are common in northern Ghana, such large-scale displacement is unusual.

According to Mr Mahama, families are now sheltered by relatives in cramped rooms, while many in makeshift camps survive on just one meal a day.

He also noted that more than 700 soldiers and police officers have been deployed to the area, where authorities have also imposed a curfew.