The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has urged groups caught up in the Bawku and Kalba-Gbinyiri disputes to abandon violence and choose dialogue, reconciliation and peaceful coexistence.

The Bishops said ongoing communal tensions in parts of the country continued to endanger lives, community unity, livelihoods and national security, while hurting chances for peace and development. They noted a recent fall in violence in the affected areas but insisted on sustained efforts to secure lasting peace.

“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.

The Bishops further demanded the complete and faithful implementation of recommendations in the relevant report on the Kalba-Gbinyiri conflict, warning against selective application or needless delays.

“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 concerns were contained in a communiqué issued after the Conference’s annual Plenary Assembly, held from November 3 to 14, 2026, at the Divine Providence Pastoral Centre, Jamasi, in the Konongo-Mampong Diocese of the Ashanti Region.

The Bishops said lasting peace would need more than a drop in violence, stressing the importance of justice, mutual recognition, confidence-building and the protection of all affected communities.

They urged all parties to prioritise peaceful engagement and work towards resolving the underlying issues that continue to threaten stability in the affected areas.

The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, in February 2026, received the final report of the Gbinyiri Mediation Committee tasked with addressing inter-communal tensions between the Lobi/Birifor and Gonja communities in the Savannah Region.

The Committee, which was constituted in September 2025, was mandated to promote dialogue, cooperation and peaceful coexistence following renewed clashes in parts of the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba area.