EFFECTS OF THE WA CHIEFTAINCY CONFLICT ON LIVELIHOODS IN THE WA MUNICIPALITY

Abstract

The chieftaincy institution in Ghana has been plagued with violent conflicts in recent years and there are growing concerns about their negative effects on livelihoods. Chieftaincy conflicts exist in most communities in Ghana, and the Wa Municipality is no exception. However, various research works have established that, violent conflicts tend to have negative effects on livelihoods (Le Billon, 2000; King and Adams, 2000; Le Sage and Majid, 2002). Despite the fact that, the Wa chieftaincy conflict has persisted for .over two decades, its effects on the livelihoods of people in the Wa Municipality are not well known, understood and documented. The ways and manner in which people in the area have over the years managed to mitigate the negative effects of the conflict on their livelihoods are also not well known and understood. This notwithstanding, since development or poverty reduction is about the promotion of livelihood activities, it is imperative to establish the negative effects of the Wa chieftaincy conflict on the livelihoods of people in the Wa Municipality in particular, and the Upper West Region as a whole. Semi-structured interviews were the main method used in gathering primary data from farmers, livestock traders, and smock weavers among other small scale businesses for purposes of the study. The sample size for the study was 65 respondents, and the study was largely based on the qualitative approach. The primary data collected were analysed manually. The study established that, farmers used to obtain land from people who belong to different chieftaincy gates in the Wa Municipality before the conflict started. But that, due to the conflict, some farm sizes in Kperesi, Busa, Guli and-Sing have been reduced. The study also revealed that, some farmers now feel insecure to farm in rival communities because their farm produce will be destroyed and their livestock poisoned. It has further been established that unlike before the conflict started, most communities in the Wa Municipality were united and people in these communities offered communal labour to one another, that currently people from rival chieftaincy gates no longer cooperate or assist one another due to the conflict. As a result, farm sizes and crop output have reduced significantly in the municipality, and income levels also reduced considering the fact that, 80% of the people in the area are farmers. Sing village market in the Wa traditional area is now no go area for one market woman because she belongs to a chieftaincy gate which is opposed to the gate in that community. People from rival chieftaincy gates in the communities do not purchase goods and services from one another because they see that as empowering their opponents financially to fight them. The study therefore, recommended that, the Regional and National House of Chiefs as well as religious bodies in the Wa Municipality should set up a multi-religious and ethnic peace committee with the sole responsibility of bringing all the factions to the round table to dialogue in order to resolve the conflict permanently.