The Minister for the Interior, Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka, says more than 90 per cent of people displaced by the conflict in the Savannah Region have returned to their communities following security interventions and mediation efforts over a three-month period.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Monday, October 12, 2026, he said the violence had forced more than 40,000 people to flee their homes, with some seeking refuge in neighbouring Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso.
Mr Muntaka described the displacement as a major security concern, noting that authorities had introduced a curfew, deployed security personnel and pursued dialogue to contain the violence and support the return of affected residents.
“Then you have a situation that escalates, and you have over 40,000 people displaced, moving to Côte d’Ivoire, to Burkina Faso, to the streets,” he said.
Mr Muntaka said authorities stepped in as tensions escalated, setting up a committee to mediate between the conflicting parties.
“We set up the committee. We went into mediation. I mean, tempers were so high,” he said.
He said the interventions helped ease tensions and allowed more than 90 per cent of displaced residents to return to their communities within three months.
Mr Muntaka added that a permanent committee had been set up to maintain dialogue between the communities and help prevent further clashes.
“We’ve set up a standing committee so they keep talking to each other,” he stated.
Mr Muntaka said the affected communities had longstanding family and social connections, despite the disputes that later degenerated into violence.
“They’ve intermarried; and then some misunderstanding comes, and it gets out of hand,” he said.
He pointed to the return of displaced residents as evidence of progress in resolving the communal conflict, while acknowledging the strain such crises place on security personnel.
“Sometimes, until I became Minister, I didn’t know how much our security people sacrificed for you and me to have the comfort that we are having,” he said.
Mr Muntaka said Ghana’s security situation had improved since 2025, citing a decline in the number of curfews imposed across the country and 150 consecutive days without gunfire in Bawku, in the Upper East Region.
“Ghana is much safer even today than it was in 2025,” he said.