The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has inaugurated a seven-member Ministerial Mediation Committee to lead peacebuilding, reconciliation, and resettlement efforts in Gbiniyiri and its surrounding communities in the Savanna region.
The Committee is chaired by conflict resolution expert Emmanuel Habuka Bombande, with members including Alhaji Collins Dauda (MP and Chair of Parliament’s Committee on Lands & Natural Resources), Rev. Fr. Lazarus Annyereh (Chair, Savannah Regional Peace Council), Dr. Festus Aubyn (West Africa Network for Peacebuilding), Sylvia Horname Noagbesenu Esq. (Ag. Director, Women, Youth, Peace and Security Institute, KAIPTC), Prof. Ramatu Alhassan (University of Ghana), and Dr. George Amoh (Executive Secretary, National Peace Council).
Speaking at the inauguration, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak stressed that the Committee’s mandate is critical to ensuring peace and social cohesion in Gbiniyiri and surrounding communities.
Their terms of reference include facilitating the safe return of displaced residents, assessing the scope and damages of the conflict, promoting dialogue and reconciliation, and recommending long-term peacebuilding mechanisms.
He urged the Committee to carry out its work impartially and inclusively, engaging traditional leaders, civil society groups, opinion leaders, and security agencies to restore peace and trust.
The Minister also called for stronger collaboration with development partners, faith-based groups, and CSOs to support the reconciliation process.
The Chairperson of the Committee Emmanuel Habuka Bombande, in his acceptance remarks, expressed gratitude for the confidence reposed in the Committee, acknowledging the magnitude of their task.
He reaffirmed the team’s commitment to producing actionable recommendations that will aid government efforts to restore peace and stability in the affected areas.