Two research institutions, the West Africa Network for Peace-building (WANEP), and the Kofi Annan Peace-Keeping Training Centre (KAPTC) are at each other’s throat over the extent of security threat posed by Fulani herdsmen. The National Co-ordinator of WANEP, Mr Justin Bayor believes the activities of Fulani herdsmen constitute a national security threat. He contends that farmers in the three northern regions, Volta and Brong Ahafo Regions were up in arms with Fulanis whose cattle were destroying local farmers’ farm produce. But the Head of Research at the KAPTC, Dr Emmanuel Kwesi Aning disagreed. He said to equate the security problems posed by the activities of Fulani herdsmen to a national security threat, is to outrageously exaggerate the problem. The debate was sparked by the killing of two butchers in Salaga in the Northern Region Tuesday by people suspected to be Fulanis. Butchers in the area have threatened an operation search-and-kill on all Fulanis in the area. Referring to the reported killing, Mr Bayor of WANEP, said “We know very well these people are engaged in rape, armed robberies, cattle rustling, and of course, destruction of farms and if nothing is done I believe we will have a lot of security issues emerging from there.” Vouching for the integrity of his views, Mr Bayor said the information was gathered from the grassroots – districts, villages and towns where Fulanis mostly settle. But Dr Aning said, “the list of Ghana’s national security threats does not include the Fulani herdsmen. We are focusing on the Fulani herdsmen because they don’t have a voice. If we separate the criminal activities of a certain group of Fulani herdsmen, from the broader group Fulani herdsmen, they are the least aspects of Ghana’s security threats.” To further buttress his point, he said in the last three months, fourteen murders have been committed in the Central Region and asked how many of those murders were committed by Fulani herdsmen. Dr Aning asked Mr Bayor not to bandy about the results of some cheap research and use that to make sweeping generalizations. The WANEP Co-ordinator responded, saying Dr Ening cannot sit in Accra and determine whether the activities of Fulani herdsmen are a threat to national security. Play the attached audio and listen to Dr Aning and Mr Bayor speaking on Joy FM. Story by Malik Abass Daabu/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana