Northern Ghana has been home to several violent conflicts in recent times. Between 1980 and 2002, the three regions have witnessed at least 26 violent ethnic conflicts. Fourteen of these occurred between 1990 and 2002. Seventeen (17) of the 26 occurred in the Northern Region alone, with five (5) originating in the Nanumba district. Interethnic and/or intra-ethnic disagreements over land ownership and chieftaincy succession rights have been central to these conflicts; resulting in contested histories of which ethnic groups are indigenous to the region, and therefore have rights to land and political participation in the traditional authority structures. Limited transparency and accountability in the management of public resources, especially in the domain of the traditional systems of governance, have often exacerbated the conflicts.
Apart from constituting a major threat to the peace, security, and development, of the three northern regions of Ghana, the increasing incidence and intensity of the violent conflicts have also nurtured deep-seated inter and intra-ethnic divisions that undermine the development of the culture of tolerance and peaceful coexistence in multi-ethnic environments often associated with the principles of democracy and good governance. In many cases, these conflicts have spilled over into the modern state system, affecting equitable access to, and the right of participation of some ethnic groups in public decision-making processes, especially in the decentralized institutions of governance in the modern state.
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