West Africa has been arena of violent conflicts - CJ

Accra, Sept. 25, GNA - The West Africa Sub-Region has for the past several years been an arena of violent conflict leaving in its trail hundreds of thousands of deaths, destruction, misery, flood of refugees and dependence, Mr George Kingsley Acquah, Chief Justice (CJ), said in Accra on Monday.

He noted that long after the conflict was over some of the refugees refused to go back to their countries for fear of a relapse into war because the foundations of peace appeared to be fragile. The CJ was speaking as a Guest of Honour at a half-day workshop on =93Conflict Management and Peace Building=94 organised by the Public Affairs Section of US Embassy for about 400 participants made up of Members of Parliament, Traditional Rulers, Nongovernmental Organisations (NGOs) and cross-section of the society.

Mr Justice Acquah noted that the conflicts of West Africa started from Liberia, spread to Sierra Leone and Guinea (Conakry) and lately Cote d'Ivoire where peace and national reconciliation efforts had been ongoing for sometime now.

The CJ pointed out that some of the causes of conflicts were lack of democratic governance; the nature of the colonial structures and the increasing scarcity of vital resources resulting from rapid population growth and natural disasters.

Mr Justice Acquah said war profiteering and the use of identity based strategies in the power struggle among local and national leaders were other causes of conflicts.

He referred to the oil-rich Delta State of Nigeria and the "Blood Diamonds" of Sierra Leone and stated: "The quest for an equitable distribution of natural resources has often been used as a motive for ethnic mobilization to fight for their share of the national wealth, especially where they feel marginalized".

He said situation had led to ethnic-based politics that was characteristic of multi-ethnic societies, adding that when people derived so much from the plunder of war it became logical for them to cause new wars and possibly perpetuate existing ones. The CJ said that a country emerging from conflict certainly needed post-conflict security arrangements that should protect and guarantee the human security of its citizens.

He noted further that beyond physical structures and institutional provisions such as good Police and Armed Forces, there should be an efficient and effective justice system founded on the rule of law and equal access to justice.

Mr Acquah asked: "Are the perpetrators of these crimes together with their supporters to be prosecuted and sentenced to heavy punishment? Is the process of reconciliation not the best way out of such a situation?" The CJ said no society could be at peace with itself if its people were not reconciled after a conflict had set them apart and created mutual suspicion among them.

"But reconciliation is not an easy task. It requires home-grown ideas that will translate into what appropriately needs to be done to bring about justice without creating a winner-loser situation."

Ms Pamela E. Bridgewater, US Ambassador, said conflict resolution was a crucial component of Ghana's continuing evolution as a peaceful democracy and an example for others in the Sub-Region. "On a regional level, Ghana has much to celebrate. It is a prominent contributor to UN and regional peacekeeping efforts, and the first country in Africa to encourage accountability and adherence to a set of common standards through participation in the Africa Peer Review Mechanism."

Ms Bridgewater said the country had enviable record of receiving and caring for those escaping civil strife elsewhere in the Sub-Region, including Liberia, Togo, Sudan, and Sierra Leone and Cote d'Ivoire. She emphasised that disputes over chieftaincy and succession, as well as land tenure, threatened to mar the very real progress the country had made during the last decade.

Ms Bridgewater said in some cases, Alternative Dispute Resolution could serve a very useful role in mediating conflicts. "Ghana's polarized political scene has led to occasional use of intimidation and sometimes violence to settle disputes instead of thoughtful and constructive discussions.

The workshop, first of a series the US Embassy would be sponsoring, would be organised in Accra, Kumasi and Tamale. About 400 participants would benefit.