Catholic Bishops want full implementation of Kalba-Gbinyiri conflict report

The Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference has appealed to parties involved in the Bawku and Kalba-Gbinyiri conflicts to abandon violence and pursue dialogue, reconciliation and peaceful coexistence as the basis for resolving their differences.

The Bishops warned that recurring communal disputes in parts of the country continued to endanger lives, disrupt livelihoods and weaken social cohesion, while posing a threat to national security and development.

Although they acknowledged the recent decline in violent incidents in the affected communities, they cautioned that the progress made must be sustained through deliberate efforts to achieve a lasting resolution.

“While acknowledging the recent reduction in violence in these areas, we urge all parties to exercise restraint, renounce violence and embrace dialogue, reconciliation and peaceful coexistence,” they said.

They also stressed the need for authorities to implement the recommendations of the report on the Kalba-Gbinyiri conflict in their entirety, warning that selective implementation or unnecessary delays could undermine efforts to restore stability.

“We particularly call for the full and faithful implementation of the recommendations contained in the relevant report on the Kalba-Gbinyiri conflict, without selective application or undue delay,” the communiqué stated.

The appeal was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the Catholic Bishops' Conference's annual Plenary Assembly, held from November 3 to 14, 2026, at the Divine Providence Pastoral Centre in Jamasi, within the Konongo-Mampong Diocese of the Ashanti Region.

According to the Bishops, ending hostilities alone would not guarantee sustainable peace, insisting that justice, mutual recognition, confidence-building and the protection of all affected communities were essential to resolving the conflicts.

They therefore urged the parties to commit to peaceful engagement and address the underlying grievances fuelling tensions in the affected areas.

The call comes after the Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, received the final report of the Gbinyiri Mediation Committee in February 2026.

The committee was established in September 2025 to address tensions between the Lobi/Birifor and Gonja communities in the Savannah Region following renewed clashes in parts of the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba area.

Its mandate was to facilitate dialogue, strengthen cooperation and promote peaceful coexistence among the affected communities.