Local power Struggles, Conflicts and Conflicts Resolution. The causes, Dynamics and Policy Implications of Land-related Conflicts in the Greater Accra and Eastern Regions of Ghana

Ghana appears an oasis of peace in a sub-region which over the last one and half decades has been better known for violent civil conflict than democracy and development. Behind this smokescreen of stability, however, there have been various forms of local conflicts some of which have turned violent. Indeed some of these violent local conflicts preceded independence and have waxed and waned with the politics of the time. But perhaps the intriguing thing is that none has assumed national dimension thus far. Land is an asset and a resource with economic, political, social and cultural ramifications. An important problem of land tenure systems is endemic conflict, which has involved chiefs, family heads, government, individuals and groups in various permutations. The endemic nature of most of these conflicts suggests they are embedded in local power structures and social group membership.
Land conflicts entail many political, economic and social costs, including the costs of policing conflicts, loss of life, livelihoods and property, displacement and social and economic insecurity.
Among several initiatives taken to address the conflicts and their underlying causes are an alternative dispute resolution system and the Land Administration Project of 2003, which to date is the most comprehensive programme. This initiative has not been able to solve the problem of land management and its associated conflicts. As a contribution to the continuing debate over land tenure and its associated conflicts in Ghana, this study analyses the causes of some of the conflicts in selected towns in the Greater Accra and the eastern regions. It examines the role of the actors, the dynamics of land tenure, the conflict resolution mechanisms especially the role played by traditional institutions and makes policy recommendations.