Mubarak Muntaka, the Ghanaian minister of the interior, said that the death toll is 31, although he said that number could be higher as investigations progress.

As a result of the clashes, thousands of people fled the area, while more than 13,000 have already crossed the border towards Côte d’Ivoire.

According to Muntaka, the government initiated mediation efforts between the parties in conflict, whose clashes began on August 24 over land control in the town of Gbiniyiri, located in the Sabana region.

At the end of last year, the Ghanaian government imposed a curfew in Bawku, a town in the north-west of the country, following violent inter-communal clashes between two old rival clans that have been fighting for years, the mamprusi and the kusasi, which left some 20 dead and several wounded.

For its part, the United Nations has noted that violence in northern Ghana is part of broader socio-economic and security issues in West Africa and the Sahel.

In September 2024, anti-government demonstrations occurred in Ghana and were described as economic mismanagement by the government.

Since 2022, Ghana has also faced a difficult financial situation that boosted inflation by 54 per cent, from which the government says it is recovering.

abo/mem/fvt