After almost four years of violent conflict over land, the chiefs and people of Doba and Kandiga in the Upper East Region have publicly embraced peace. On 26 February 2023, thousands of people from both communities gathered at Kandiga for a blood cleansing ceremony, held according to the customs and traditions of the two communities, followed by a non-denominational church service facilitated by NABOCADO.
The conflict began in April 2019 over the ownership of land in the Akonkongo–Abempengo area. It cost lives and property and displaced many families.
During the ceremony, the Tindaanas and elders of the two communities performed traditional rites to purify the land of the blood shed during the conflict. The chiefs and people exchanged sticks as a sign of laying down arms, then drank water, ate and danced together to show their commitment to the peace agreement. The Most Rev. Alfred Agyenta, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Navrongo-Bolgatanga, blessed the land and assured the communities of the Church’s continued prayers for lasting peace.
The peace process was led by Naba Atogumdeya Roland Akwara II, Paramount Chief of the Sirigu Traditional Area, with the support of the Sirigu Women’s Organisation for Poetry and Arts (SWOPA), the National Peace Council and NABOCADO, which supported the traditional mediation through the Sahel Peace Initiative, sponsored by Catholic Relief Services (CRS).
The gathering also opened the way for mediation to settle the remaining differences over land ownership between the two communities. Earlier, in December 2021, NABOCADO and CRS had helped 75 displaced households rebuild their homes.
Sources: Ghana News Agency; NABOCADO.
