It is very worrying that time and again, Government of Ghana, the Police Service, stakeholders and all citizens of this country have to spend time, energy and resources confronting these unending clashes at the Kokomba market. My deep concern is the impact these intermittent clashes have on the image of Northern Ghana and Muslims which some journalists have already unfortunately sought to project in their reports. The community is dominated by our brothers and sisters from Northern Ghana, who out of necessity have come to fend for themselves and their kits and kin. It is sad that some elements have allowed their association with groups and political parties to undermine our sense of responsibility, brotherliness and harmony.

However, it is worth nothing that these recurrent acts have underlining causes some of which are inherent in the persona of the individuals involved. The point where people resort to violence or take arms against each other is when they lose the ability to use their brains to get them what they want. This is same in all conflict situations all over the world. Those who can be educated must be educated to understand and appreciate that all situations can be handled differently apart from the way they know. Our brothers could have chosen to dialogue to iron out their differences without having to shed blood. But in the midst of several options – the community leaders, ethnic and political leaders, the police and the courts – they chose to handle it the way they did.

We have come a long way after adopting multiparty democracy in 1992 and so let no one or group of people deceive themselves into thinking or imagining that they can derail the gains we have collectively made in this painful exercise of democracy and peace building in the last fifteen years. And if they are acting with the backing of any supremacists the security agencies should be genuine enough to redeem their image by arresting all alleged suspects.

My deeper concern is that very little or nothing is seen to be done by our Muslim leaders in a bid to avert clashes this community. Such lax silence and seeming indifference gives room for unhealthy speculations and questions the leadership of the Muslim community in Ghana. I was expecting that the Chief Imam and other Muslim leaders from Accra, Tamale, Kumasi and other parts would have as a matter of urgency organized a press conference to condemn this act at the Kokomba market immediately. These are some of the unique opportunities they should cease to educate society on the noble virtues of Islam and also bring about peace in conflict-prone areas.

Mutaru M Muqthar

mmmutaru@yahoo.com