The UN Secretary General’s Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel, Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas has appealed to political leaders to sustain the peace in Dagbon and the country as a whole as elections 2020 approaches.
He said Ghana has over the years attained a high record of peaceful democratic transitions on the international front and must not allow any disturbances to mar it.
Speaking at the maiden Damba lectures organized by Ya-Na Abukari Mahama to mark the first Damba festival under his reign, Dr. Chambas cautioned the political actors to uphold Ghana’s track record.
“I wish to take the opportunity of this platform to appeal to political parties to also join in maintaining and sustaining the peace not only in Dagbon but throughout Ghana. Ghana is a beacon of hope and light in Africa as far as elections and democratic consolidation is concerned.”
“All political actors must constantly be aware that the eyes of the world will be upon Ghana to maintain an upscale of impressive track record of peaceful, violent free, transparent and credible elections in 2020,” he stated.
He further advised government to at all times use state security in elections to prevent the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence from happening again.
“We can do it. We have done it severally and there’s no reason why in 2020 it will be any different. What we need to take out is the kind of militia we saw in Ayawaso West Wuogon. We need to allow our regular security forces to continue to provide the stable security they’ve always provided in all elections,” he said.
Ex-President, Jerry John Rawlings had earlier said efforts by the Akufo-Addo administration to restore peace in the Dagbon traditional area is not complete since justice has not been served in the matter.
According to him, the shocking murder of Yaa-Naa Yakubu Andani II was obvious and should have been investigated thoroughly to bring the perpetrators of the crime to book.
The coronation of the new Ya-Naa Abukari Mahama II in January this year finally brought to an end nearly two decades of conflict in Dagbon over the skin after years of mediation.
The conflict sparked up when Ya-Naa Yakubu Andani II was murdered in March 2002 after an eruption of violence during the Yendi’s traditional fire festival.