Accra (Greater Accra) 25 June ?99

Professor Kofi Awonoor, a presidential aide, on Thursday said although Ghana has enjoyed relative peace and stability over the past few decades, nothing must be left to chance.

"Our ability to accelerate the pace of progress in sustainable human development and good governance is directly dependent on our ability to manage conflicts ... and more especially, prevent potential conflict from degenerating into violence or undesirable consequences.

"The government will continue to take the appropriate measures to ensure that only the strengths and opportunities inherent in conflict situations are promoted, and the threats and dangerous conditions are managed for the good of the citizenry of this country"

Delivering the key-note address at the third national governance workshop which opened in Accra, Professor Awoonor noted that conflicts in the country occur around ethnicity, regionalism, religion, labour, politics chieftaincy and gender inequality, among other issues.

The two-day workshop, organised by Parliament and sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is on the theme: "Conflict Prevention, Resolution and Management for Peace, Stability and Development".

He said inter-ethnic disputes are less than cordial and sometimes fractured, adding that disputes have persistently risen over chieftaincy and land ownership.

He said such was the case in the 1994 northern conflict, which resulted in mayhem and threatened the very foundation of "our peaceful co-existence".

"It is gratifying to note that the warring factions, as a result of the work of the permanent peace negotiating team, have reconciled their differences and are working towards building a permanent peace".