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A security analyst, Mr Emmanuel Sowatey, has proposed the establishment of land banks as one of the long-term measures in dealing with the conflict between Fulani herdsmen and indigenous farmers.

His proposal for land banks, according to him, was first made in the year 2005 or 2006 by an Early Warning Committee set up under the Ministry of the Interior.

In an interview with the Daily Graphic, he said land banks dedicated as ranches for Fulani herdsmen, with communities also benefiting from the transaction, was important.

Land banks

With his call to revisit the idea, Mr Sowatey said Fulani herdsmen, the youth and opinion leaders needed to be part of the processes leading to the acquisition of the lands dedicated to grazing.

He said it was also paramount for experts in animal husbandry and hydraulics to be included in the team tasked to select the lands, because of the impact of climate change such as drought and floods on vegetation.

According to him, climate change was impacting on the activities of Fulani herdsmen.

“In the past, when they were challenged by indigenous farmers on a piece of land they had entered, it merely resulted in a few verbal exchanges, the throwing of some stones and the departure of the herdsmen to other areas,” he explained.

Currently, with climate change conditions, Fulani herdsmen tended to stand their ground on contested land, escalating conflicts and leading to shootings and killings as was the case in the killing of a farmer in Agogo recently.

“That is because the appropriate land, with the right kind of grass and herbs for themselves and their cattle, was rare to come by due to drought and floods,” he emphasised.

Mr Sowatey also said the acquisition of land banks was to be done to secure transgenerational benefits, so that the youth in indigenous areas would not feel cheated.

“That would mean innovative ways of compensating owners of lands acquired for their unborn children to benefit from the land secured,” he explained.

Sensitisation

Mr Sowatey conceded that indigenes might kick against the proposition because of the perception that the Fulani herdsmen were predominantly foreigners.

However, he said sensitisation of all Ghanaians to long-term solutions to the challenge was paramount, instead of the entrenched position of kicking out Fulani herdsmen because they were foreigners.

“Thus, “Operation Cowleg,” the traditional campaign by security forces to drive out Fulani herdsmen, had to be revised.” he said.

Mr Sowatey commended the deployment of security forces to the area as a good short-term measure in instilling confidence and trust in the state’s ability to instil law and order.

He stressed the fact that it was not the task of the police to ensure lasting peace (but institutions such as the National Peace Council and the various regional and district security councils).

Transport

In another interview, a research fellow at the Institute of African Studies, Dr Samuel Ntewusu, proposed the use of transportation networks in monitoring the movement of herds of cattle into the country.

He said all transportation points in the country, with vigilance on the part of Ghanaians on the movement of goods, people and animals, had to be monitored to help with information on movement.