The politics of addressing farmer-herder conflicts in Ghana

Abstract

The phenomenon of natural resource conflict has gained prominence in academic and policy literature, but ongoing discussions have not significantly addressed some critical issues that affect the dynamics of the conflict and peacebuilding efforts. This article draws on semi-structured interviews and archival survey to investigate the dilemmas involved in addressing protracted farmer-herder conflicts in Agogo, Ashanti region, arguably the most notorious case in Ghana. It examines why attempts to sustainably address the clashes mostly produce unsuccessful results, which reflects in recurrences of the conflict. The article argues that a web of domestic and regional politics embedded in hurting identity contentions bedevils the peacemaking process. Following the conclusion, the author recommends some steps to address the most critical dilemmas of the conflict resolution and peacebuilding exercise, including a focus on social integration; fair, capable and inclusive local institutions; public education on regional agreements and strong engagements of the civil society.