The Wa West MP, Peter Lanchene Toobu, has urged the feuding factions in the Gbenyiri conflict to recognise that their true enemies are not each other but poverty, bad roads, and underdevelopment.

Addressing some 48,000 displaced people, mostly women and children, Mr. Toobu, who is the Deputy Chairman of the Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament, described war as a destructive force that derails peace and development.

He stressed that his mission as a natural mediator was to appeal to both factions, particularly chiefs, to embrace peace for the sake of their communities.

“Peace in Sawla-Tuna-Kalba is all we are praying for, and the chiefs have assured us that they are willing to toe the path of peace,” he said.

He also cautioned the youth against using social media to fuel conflict.

“If you have sons and daughters who are educated and active on social media, tell them to use that power to call for peace, not war. War is destructive.

"As you sit here, you have become internally displaced persons in your own country, and other people are feeding you while your farms remain abandoned.”

Mr. Toobu lamented the devastation of the conflict, noting that farmlands filled with maize and groundnuts had been deserted.

“I tell you today that your real enemies are not yourselves, but poverty, bad roads, and underdevelopment. This cannot be life. You cannot be internally displaced persons in your own country,” he said.

He called on all stakeholders to act swiftly to end the conflict.

“Let’s ensure that we bring peace so that these children don’t suffer unduly, and sisters and mothers will not suffer unduly. The time to act is now. Peace is what we are calling for.”

The MP was accompanied by the Dagaaba Chief of the Savannah Region, Naa Maxwell Kuubasagra, and executive members of the Dagaaba Youth Association in the region.