President John Mahama has expressed deep concern over the escalating number of chieftaincy, ethnic and land-related conflicts emerging across the country, warning that the trend has become a “major headache” for his government.

He made the remarks during a meeting with the National Peace Council at the Jubilee House on Wednesday, December 10.

The President noted that the rise in such disputes has placed considerable strain on national security agencies, which continue to maintain long-term deployments in several volatile communities.

He attributed the tensions to longstanding disagreements rooted in chieftaincy succession, ethnic divisions and land ownership battles.

“All of us are concerned about the proliferation of conflicts across our country. There’s a rising intolerance, and it’s as a result of disagreements, first and foremost, to do with chieftaincy. It is putting a lot of pressure on our security services,” he cautioned.

President Mahama highlighted the extent of security deployments required to manage the tensions, pointing to multiple regions where personnel remain stationed to prevent further escalation.

“A lot of our security services are tied down in conflict areas. Sampa, we have a whole contingent there. If you go to Bawku and Nkwanta, we have a whole contingent there. Recently, Savannah, we had a whole contingent there; we have not withdrawn them yet. And yet, there are so many of these all over the country,” he explained.

He warned that the frequency and spread of these disputes now pose a threat to national stability, stressing that the government cannot address the challenge alone.

“It has to do with ethnic and land disputes. It’s become a major headache for the government,” he added.

Appealing directly to the National Peace Council, President Mahama urged the body to intensify its mediation and conflict-resolution efforts in order to restore calm in affected communities.

“That is why we need to resort to the Peace Council to be able to carry out its mandate,” he said.