The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mubarak, has cautioned against politicising or tribalising crimes, stressing that the government remains resolute in treating crime purely as crime, irrespective of identity or political affiliation.

He warned that any attempt to attach political or ethnic colour to criminal acts could undermine national efforts to maintain peace and stability and urged that justice be applied without bias to tribe, religion, or political persuasion.

Mr. Mubarak made the remarks at the sixth High-Level Dialogue of State and Non-State Actors on Peace and Security in Northern Ghana, held in Tamale.

The one-day event, organised by the STAR Ghana Foundation, brought together key stakeholders, including Regional Ministers for the Northern, Upper East, North East, and Upper West Regions, Regional Coordinating Directors, security agencies, civil society organisations, traditional authorities, development partners, and the media.

The dialogue provided a platform to deliberate on strategies for promoting peace, security, and coordinated responses to the drivers of conflict and violent extremism in northern Ghana.

Mr. Mubarak expressed concern about the significant resources diverted to managing conflicts and announced that the government would soon introduce an amnesty period for the voluntary surrender of illegal weapons.

He added that the government was working to strengthen national security frameworks and equip law enforcement agencies to safeguard lives and property.

The Minister underscored the need for stronger collaboration between state and non-state actors and encouraged communities to embrace peaceful and dialogue-based approaches to resolving disputes.

He commended STAR Ghana Foundation and its partners for their sustained efforts to foster peace and security in the northern part of the country.

The Northern Regional Minister, Ali Adolf John, described the dialogue as a vital platform for collective engagement on peace and security challenges, noting that the region continued to grapple with chieftaincy and land disputes, boundary conflicts, cross-border crimes, and increasing substance abuse among the youth.

He praised STAR Ghana Foundation for sustaining the engagement, saying it had strengthened local peace structures, early warning systems, and stakeholder collaboration.

The Executive Director of STAR Ghana Foundation, Ibrahim Tanko Amidu, said the dialogue aimed to enhance coordination among actors working to prevent violent extremism and address the root causes of conflict in northern Ghana.

He noted that addressing insecurity required more than security interventions, adding that improving livelihoods, tackling poverty, and ensuring youth participation in decision-making were crucial to building lasting peace.

Mr. Tanko Amidu called on citizens to uphold the values of peace and reconciliation and to use established mechanisms for resolving conflicts.