Regional News of Friday, 18 April 2008

Source: GNA

Make peace in Bawku sustenable - NGO

Accra, April 18, GNA - The West Africa Network for Peace Building and civil society organizations under the Bawku Peace Initiative on Friday called on the government to consolidate the ongoing effort to make the peace in Bawku sustainable.
"As members of civil society and religious bodies working with the National Peace Council, we continue to urge and appeal for the sustenance of calm in Bawku," a statement in Accra by the coalition said.
The statement also commended the President, the Regional Co-ordinating Council, Parliament, religious leaders and the security agencies for taking steps to restore calm in the area and lauded the cooperation of the inhabitants in restoring and maintaining the current peace. The statement appealed to government to make aid available to affected communities by the recent clashes in Bawku.
On election 2008, it called on all stakeholders in multiparty democracy to conduct their election campaigns in the area with utmost care, decency and sensitivity as their contribution towards lasting peace in the area.
"We have taken stock of our involvement and collective responsibility in contributing to peace and have recommitted ourselves to engage fully with all groups in the Bawku conflict to sustain peace and development," the statement said.
It commended the media for their contribution and urged them to continue to be circumspect in their reportage on the situation. The statement was signed by representatives of 12 organisations, including Actionaid Ghana, Bawku Literay Society, Catholic Diocese, Christian Council, Muslim Council of Ghana, West Africa Network for Peacebuilding and Ghana Network for Peacebuilding.