The National Peace Council (NPC) on Wednesday inaugurated its Northern Region office and charged the officials with the responsibility of mediating, preventing, reconciling, educating and resolving conflicts in the region to promote peace for sustainable development.

Sheikh Mahmoud Gedel, Board Member of the NPC, who inaugurated the 13-member Council in Tamale, urged them to work assiduously to consolidate peace and national integration.

He said even though the country had been adjudged as the oasis of peace in the West African sub-region, recent ethnic clashes between Bimobas and Konkombas in the Bunkpurugu District and the alleged murder of the Bimbilla Chief are unfortunate and thwarting the peace efforts in the region.

“We should try to avoid religious conflicts and expand our freedoms and liberties as well as establishing a national equilibrium…nobody should work against the collective national interest,” Sheikh Gedel said.

Sheikh Gedel said the Northern Region Peace Council (NRPC) has the responsibility of advising the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) in matters relating to peacebuilding and conflict prevention, engage in public education and facilitate activities that would bring about friendship and reconciliations.

He said it is important for Ghanaians to work towards sustaining the country’s democracy in accordance with cultural values and traditions saying: “Let us not westernise our country in the name of democracy.”

Mr George Amoh, Director of Conflict Resolution and Management of the NPC said the Council would inaugurate the remaining nine Regional councils before the end of July.

He said Act 818 of 2011 that set up the NPC envisages the setting up of a peace fund for the development of peace initiatives.

He said the NPC was set up in 2011 with the mandate to facilitate and develop mechanisms for conflict prevention, management and resolution to build sustainable peace in the country.

The Most Reverend Philip Naameh, Archbishop of Tamale Metropolitan Diocese of the Catholic Church said since 1979, the region had experienced many conflicts relating to ethnic, chieftaincy disputes and political disturbances.

He said such violent conflicts had made many people economically poor.

He said illiteracy rate had also increased due to such needless conflicts and expressed the hope that the NRPC would work with REGSEC to achieve the needed peace.

Alhaji Limuna Mohammed-Muniru, Regional Minister urged the NPC to resource the Regional Peace Council to carry out its duties effectively.

He advised the members to be proactive and pre-empt conflicts to prevent them from occurring.

Mr Lawrence Lachmansingh, Peace and Governance Advisor of the United Nations Development Programme commended Ghana for putting in place structures that had sustained the country’s peace and gave the assurance that the UN would continue to support in areas of technical and logistics.