The Lobi/Birifor Council of Elders on Friday 7th November 2025 made a solemn appeal to the Overlord of the Gonja Kingdom, Yagbonwura Bii-Kunuto Jewu Soale (I), seeking peaceful coexistence following three months of tension stemming from the deadly Gbinyiri conflict.
The delegation, led by Savannah Regional Minister Hon. Salisu Be-Awurbi and Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources Hon. Sulemana Yussif, visited the Yagbonwura’s palace in Damongo to plead for the restoration of harmony between the people of Gonjaland and the Birifos.
Speaking on behalf of the Council, Chairman Mr. Thomas Bebeh Sennor expressed deep regret over the August conflict in Gbinyiri, which began as a dispute over a small plot of land but escalated into communal violence.
“This unfortunate misunderstanding degenerated into a communal conflict that resulted in the loss of lives, destruction of property, and displacement of people,” Sennor said, adding that some women and children drowned in the Black Volta while attempting to flee to Ivory Coast.
The Gbinyiri conflict has claimed at least 34 lives, with reports suggesting approximately 50,000 people have been displaced. The violence has forced some Lobi-Birifor people to migrate south or to neighboring countries including Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso.
Appeal for Mercy and Affirmation of Land Rights
With “heavy hearts filled with sorrow,” the elders acknowledged the pain the conflict has caused the Yagbonwura and the Kingdom. They emphasized that the Lobi/Birifor people have coexisted peacefully with Gonjas for centuries and have never claimed land ownership.
“We know the land belongs to the Yagbonwura, the Overlord of the Gonja Kingdom, and his Chiefs and people,” Sennor stated, noting that Gonja Chiefs issue building permits to their community members.
The delegation made two key requests: permission to bury their deceased loved ones and government assistance to compensate victims from both communities for property destruction.
In response to the appeal, the Yagbonwura ordered Mankpanwura Jakpa Acho-ade Borenyi (I) of the Mankpan Traditional Area to announce to the Brifor Elders items for pacification rituals due to the bloodshed.
The requirements include 100 male cattle, 7 rams, 7 goats, 7 white cocks, 7 bowls of white cola, and GHC 100,000, to be delivered within three weeks.
Hon. Sulemana Yussif, MP for Bole Constituency, addressed the media after the meeting, calling for national unity and cautioning youth about inflammatory social media posts.
“It is we the youth who cause the problem. Go to social media and see the number of young men on TikTok, Facebook and how they insult the Lobis, the Gonjas, Konkombas, this will not take us anywhere,” he warned.
The Lobi/Birifor Council pledged to work toward improving peaceful coexistence with Gonjas and other ethnic groups in the Savannah Region, promising vigilance to prevent future incidents.
