The Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Religious Affairs, Ahmed Ibrahim, has emphasised the need to depoliticise chieftaincy disputes as part of efforts to resolve chieftaincy conflicts that have plagued many communities in the country.

Speaking on Joy News' AM Show on Wednesday, April 2, the Banda MP, said "The plan is, one, to depoliticise the chieftaincy disputes because there is an excessive politicisation of our chieftaincy problems," he said when the host, Benjamin Akakpo asked about the government's plan to curb the menace.

Over the years, these disputes have led to social instability, economic setbacks, and, in some unfortunate instances, loss of life.

A known chieftaincy dispute in the country is the longstanding Bawku conflict in the Upper East region. In November last year, over twenty persons died as a result of the resurgence of the conflict.

According to him, there are critical works underway to resolve the Bawku conflict.

The Minister stressed that the politicisation of these conflicts has exacerbated the problem, and it is crucial to remove political influence from the resolution process.

By doing so, he believes that peace can be restored, ensuring that traditional leadership structures are respected and that the people in these communities can live without fear of violence or disruption.