By Paul Ejime
GHANA’s NATIONAL Peace Council (NPC) has pledged that all political parties and key stakeholders in the upcoming December 2024 elections will sign a peace accord.
This agreement will be facilitated by the NPC to ensure peaceful conduct throughout the electoral process.
George Amoh, Executive Secretary of the NPC’s governing board, spoke on 20 November at the Council’s headquarters in Accra during a briefing with the Core Team of the ECOWAS Long-Term Observation Mission.
Amoh highlighted that despite objections from the opposition NDC, efforts were being intensified to address concerns and secure the commitment of all parties.
The peace accord, which has become a staple in major West African elections, requires signatory parties to uphold peaceful conduct and resolve grievances through legal channels.
Amoh stressed that post-election healing efforts after the 2020 elections, including collaboration with the NDC, had contributed to the Council’s ongoing peace initiatives.
The NPC is also collaborating with the Interparty Advisory Committee (IPAC), the Inspector-General of Police, and the Chief of Defence Staff to establish trust-building measures.
This includes developing a Code of Conduct for the media to address hate speech and promote responsible conflict reporting.
In its broader efforts to tackle political violence, the NPC has partnered with ECOWAS, UNOWAS, and UNDP to facilitate dialogues with various groups, such as youth, women, civil society organizations, and religious leaders.
The Council says it is focusing on themes like political polarization and the creation of a Peace Fund.
It is also working on an Early Warning and Response Mechanism to improve national and local coordination in peacebuilding.
It adds that the as the ECOWAS observers join the mission, the arrival of Head of Mission, Nigeria’s former Vice President Namadi Sambo, and Short-term Observers will further bolster efforts to monitor the electoral process.
