Chieftaincy Disputes Emerge as Top Threat to Stability UFO PEACE AND UNITY SURVEY 2024 – 2025 REPORTS

Chieftaincy Disputes Emerge as Top Threat to Stability UFO PEACE AND UNITY SURVEY 2024 – 2025 REPORTS

The Universal Friendship Organisation (UFO) of Ghana has raised the alarm over the rising number of local conflicts across the country, urging urgent intervention to prevent further loss of lives and disruption of social and economic development.

In a statement marking World Peace Day, UFO noted that while Ghana has long been celebrated for its democratic resilience and peaceful political transitions, recent years have revealed a growing undercurrent of localized conflicts, particularly linked to chieftaincy disputes and politically-motivated violence.

*Chieftaincy Disputes Remain Leading Threat*

Chieftaincy disputes are the leading cause of local conflicts in Ghana, with the National Peace Council identifying 190 active hotspots nationwide. These disputes, often arising from historical rivalries, contested land ownership, and succession struggles, have resulted in significant violence.
The Bawku conflict, a long-standing dispute between the Kusasi and Mamprusi communities, flared up in July 2025, prompting military intervention and the imposition of curfews after attacks on schools. Similarly, the Gbiniyiri clashes in the Savannah Region in August 2025 claimed at least 31 lives and displaced nearly 50,000 people, highlighting the deep ethnic and traditional tensions underlying many disputes.

According to UFO’s Peace and Unity Tracker Survey, traditional leaders’ activities, particularly during new installations and land disputes, frequently trigger violence. Currently, over 500 ethnic and chieftaincy disputes are pending in courts nationwide.

Though Ghana’s December 2024 general elections were largely peaceful, politically-motivated incidents occurred.

Pre-election clashes between supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Salaga resulted in injuries.

Mass protests over alleged electoral irregularities in Accra, particularly in Ablekuma North and Akwatai, also led to multiple arrests.

UFO highlighted that the politicization of local disputes, especially chieftaincy issues, continues to pose a serious risk to national peace.

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