Election 2024: Peace Council engages stakeholders to ensure peaceful election

The National Peace Council has engaged stakeholders and the media in the Volta Region to stress the importance of maintaining peace before, during, and after the 2024 general elections.

Held under the theme "Building Trust for Peaceful Elections," the event saw the Chairman of the Peace Council in the Volta Region, Rev. Seth Mawutor, emphasize the need to safeguard Ghana’s stability. "While Ghanaians currently enjoy peace, it is vital to actively promote and protect it," Rev. Mawutor stated.

He highlighted that following the 2020 elections, the National Peace Council took decisive steps to address violence and unrest in five key constituencies—Awutu-Senya, Odododiodio, Ablekuma Central, Techiman South, and Savelugu—where the loss of life had been severe. “The Peace Council engaged stakeholders in these constituencies, facilitating difficult but necessary conversations about what went wrong and how to move forward,” he explained.

Rev. Mawutor assured Ghanaians of the Council’s continued commitment to fostering conflict prevention, management, and resolution mechanisms. In preparation for the 2024 elections, the Council has partnered with the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) to conduct peace dialogues in five strategic locations across Ghana: Ho, Cape Coast, Kumasi, Accra, and Tamale. Cape Coast has already hosted a successful dialogue session, part of a series aimed at promoting non-violent conflict resolution, enhancing public awareness of electoral violence risks, and building trust among key stakeholders.

Rev. Mawutor urged all parties, institutions, and citizens to resolve conflicts through non-violent means to ensure peaceful elections.

The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General to West Africa and the Sahel, H.E. Leonardo Santos Simão, commended the National Peace Council for its effective collaboration with the United Nations, sharing a common desire to see peaceful elections in Ghana. H.E. Leonardo acknowledged that while the Volta Region is not considered high-risk for security concerns, factors like socioeconomic hardship and inflammatory campaign rhetoric necessitate vigilance.

"The forum provides an essential platform for addressing the core issues underpinning peaceful and credible elections,” H.E. Leonardo stated, highlighting its timely relevance in fostering stability in the electoral process.