Communal clash looms at Jinijini as galamasey land dispute tensions rise
Jinijini, Bono Region
Tensions are mounting in Jinijini, a farming community in the Bono Region, with residents warning that a long-standing land dispute could trigger communal violence if authorities fail to intervene quickly.
Traditional leaders, youth groups, and farmers say disputes over farmland boundaries between two family lines have escalated in recent weeks, with threats, destruction of crops, and sporadic confrontations reported across the area.
Roots of the Dispute
The conflict centers on a stretch of arable land near the Jinijini-Abesim road, claimed by both the Baffour and Kwakye families. Both sides trace ownership back to ancestral allocations from the late 1960s, but poorly documented boundaries and the death of key elders have left the matter unresolved.
“Every planting season, the argument gets worse,” said Nana Kofi Baffour, a farmer whose maize farm was allegedly slashed by rival youth last week. “We’ve reported to the chief and police, but nothing concrete has been done. If the government does not step in, we will defend our land.”
Members of the opposing family deny destroying crops, accusing the other side of encroaching on land awarded to them by the Jinijini Traditional Council in 2004. Youth Mobilization Raises Alarm
Police in the Bono Region say they have deployed personnel to Jinijini and are engaging both factions, but youth on both sides have been mobilizing on social media and at community meetings. Chief Supt. Stephen Akowuah, who spoke on a separate security panel in Accra today, warned that “land disputes remain one of the fastest triggers of communal clashes in Ghana, especially when youth feel their livelihoods are threatened.”
Local assembly member Hon. Eric Opoku Jnr. confirmed that the Bono Regional Coordinating Council has scheduled a mediation session for Wednesday, June 17. “We cannot afford another Konkomba-Nanumba situation. Jinijini feeds many markets with foodstuffs. If farms are destroyed, food prices will rise,” he said.
Farmers Fear Food Security Impact
The timing of the dispute is worsening anxiety. Farmers across Ghana are already warning of a potential food crisis due to delays in the national fertilizer subsidy programme. Jinijini, known for yam, maize, and plantain production, supplies traders in Sunyani, Techiman, and Accra.
“If this clash happens now, we will lose the entire season’s crops,” said Madam Ama Serwaa, a yam trader at Jinijini market. “That means hunger and higher prices for everyone.”
Calls for Immediate Intervention
The Jinijini Traditional Council has appealed for calm and urged both families to halt farm work on the disputed land until mediation is concluded. Security agencies say patrols have been increased, but residents insist more visible police presence is needed at night.
Civil society groups in the Bono Region are calling on the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, National Security, and the Regional Minister to fast-track boundary demarcation and enforce court rulings already in the record.
For now, Jinijini remains tense but peaceful. Whether it stays that way may depend on how quickly government and traditional authorities can settle a dispute decade in the making.
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