The Savannah Regional Peace Council (SRPC) has held a series of dialogues between the security agencies and residents of border communities in the Bole District.
This is to strengthen border and community security management through enhanced civilian participation and early-warning mechanisms.
The dialogues also sought to build trust between local communities and security agencies, improve information sharing, and address rising security threats linked to porous borders, illegal mining, smuggling, and transnational crime.
The communities where the dialogues were held included Chache, Donkorkura and Yombokura, which are near the country’s border with Côte d’Ivoire.
The initiative was funded by the Denmark Embassy through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under the Preventing and Responding to Violent Extremism in the Atlantic Corridor project.
The Bole District in the Savannah Region, which shares an extensive boundary with Côte d’Ivoire along the Black Volta Basin, has only one approved border route at Chache with several unapproved routes dotted along the river.
The porous nature of the border has exposed communities to crimes including human and arms trafficking, drug smuggling, cattle rustling, illegal mining, charcoal burning and other cross-border activities.
The district’s vast arable lands and rich mineral deposits, especially in the Bole area have also attracted small-scale and illegal mining operations in communities such as Sindi (Dollar Power, Dollar Accra, Dablakrou), Tinga, Darkrupe and Singyekura further heightening security concerns.
Its location makes it a major entry and exits point for transhumance from the Sahel region straining relations between farmers and herders and increasing the risk of conflict.
During the dialogues, Mr Kennedy Atiibo Ayatah, Executive Secretary of the SRPC, who co-facilitated the sessions with officers from the security agencies, took participants through early warning and response systems, peacebuilding and conflict resolution mechanisms, community vigilance, organised crime, and the roles of the various security agencies operating at the border.
Dr Edward Apratwum, Team Lead, Inclusive Growth and Accountable Governance, UNDP, said peace was a collective responsibility, adding, the dialogue was important, considering the activities of the extremists in the Sahel.
He said the very structural issues that had allowed the extremists to penetrate the Sahelian region also existed in the country, hence the intervention to help avoid the infiltration of communities by the extremists.
He urged community members to freely collaborate with the security agencies to give out early warning information to enable them to keep the borders safe and peaceful.
Community members shared their concerns and proposed solutions to the security challenges confronting them.
Mr Joel Joribiema, a Youth Member of Chache, identified smuggling as a major threat saying several illegal routes were being used to move goods in and out of the country.
He said “Although Immigration Officers are doing their best with patrols, it is not enough. We need to form a community watchdog committee to complement the efforts of the security agencies.”
Mr. Moses Yevuu, a resident, warned of a growing breakdown in the social and moral fabric of the community, especially the declining respect for traditional authority by the youth.
He cautioned that persistent disregard for leadership could fuel tensions and conflict if not addressed.
He called on community members to understand their roles and responsibilities and work within established structures to maintain peace and cohesion.
GNA
Edited by Eric K. Amoh/George-Ramsey Benamba
Dec 30, 2025
