Africa-Press – Ghana. IMore than a decade ago a violent clash between farmers and Fulbe herders claimed lives and destroyed property in the Gushegu Municipality of the Northern Region.
But for Umar Musah, a survivor of the incident, who now lives in Tamale, the memories remain deeply etched in his life.
Mr Musah, a Fulbe herder, who narrowly escaped death during the 2011 violence, but lost his father in the clash, said while property and livelihoods were destroyed, the emotional trauma, fear and anxiety endured by survivors were even more devastating.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Tamale, Mr Musah described the incident as one of the most harrowing experiences anyone could endure saying its impact continued to haunt his family years after the violence.
He said “Even though it has been tough for me and my family, the menial jobs we do are what sustains us now. These tensions are avoidable if the right measures are put in place, yet innocent herders continue to become victims, which is unfortunate.”
For Mr Jeremiah Duyab, a farmer at Gomdakura in the Mion District of the Northern Region, one of the most frustrating experiences in farming was watching a season’s hard work destroyed overnight.
He recounted to the GNA how his 10-acre maize farm was completely raided by herders in 2022, an incident that not only lowered his morale, but also plunged his household into severe hardship.
Mr Duyab said although he was later compensated through the intervention of traditional authorities, the amount received fell far short of his total investment on the farm.
These accounts represent only a fraction of the devastating impact of farmer-herder tensions in Ghana, which is largely linked to competition over land and water resources and the limited accessibility to designated grazing areas for pastoralists.
The Situation
According to Alhaji Nuhu Abukari, Acting Executive Secretary of the Northern Regional Peace Council, the farmer-herder tensions required a more holistic approach because of its sensitive nature particularly when similar cases in other neighbouring African countries were already causing havocs and instability.
He identified the issues of indiscriminate bush burning, which often resulted in lack of feeding grass and water for livestock, as leading to serious tensions and conflicts.
He said, “If we are able to tackle the issues of indiscriminate bush burning, livestock will have enough feed to minimize these tensions.”
Background
A national-level desk review on herder-farmer conflicts in Ghana has revealed that 68 deaths were recorded nationwide between 2001 and 2016 because of clashes between the two groups.
The review, commissioned by TAMA Foundation Universal, indicated that in the Northern Region particularly in the Gushegu Municipality, 14 herders were gruesomely killed in 2011, while 17 people lost their lives in the Berekum area of the Bono Region following prolonged tensions.
The conflicts at Berekum also displaced about 562 families deepening poverty and causing widespread destruction of property.
According to the review, herder-farmer conflicts in Ghana are deeply rooted in competition over land and water resources, changing patterns of pastoral migration, weak land governance systems and complex socio-political dynamics.
Although the nature and intensity of the conflicts vary across time and space, the study noted a steady rise in both the frequency and severity of clashes since the early 2000s.
Mr Saani Adib, a security analyst, has however, warned that such tensions did not only threaten national peace and security, but also posed serious risks to Ghana’s livestock industry and overall agricultural development.
Grazing Reserves
Grazing reserves are demarcated areas of land set aside specifically for livestock grazing, where herders are allowed to keep and move their animals under clearly defined rules.
The system is designed to prevent livestock from straying into crop farms and settlements while promoting orderly land use and sustainable range of land management.
Alhaji Yakubu Musah Barry, General Secretary of Tabital Pulaaku, a global Fulbe movement, told the GNA that the creation of grazing reserves could significantly reduce recurring clashes between farmers and herders.
He explained that designated grazing areas, supported with water points and basic veterinary services, would minimise uncontrolled livestock movement, reduce crop destruction, and ease tensions between communities.
Beyond conflict prevention, he said grazing reserves could improve livestock productivity, protect fragile ecosystems from overgrazing and contribute to rural employment and national economic growth.
Global trends on grazing reserves
Experiences from other countries suggest that structured grazing systems can support peaceful coexistence when properly managed.
In Spain, centuries-old livestock corridors known as Cañadas Reales legally protect seasonal movement routes for animals across farmlands allowing pastoralists to access pasture without encroaching on cultivated fields.
The system has long been credited with sustaining harmony between farmers and herders while preserving biodiversity.
In Kenya, community-managed group ranches and conservancies in pastoral areas provide designated grazing lands governed by local institutions.
These arrangements help regulate access to pasture and water, and have reduced tensions in areas where collective land rights and traditional governance structures remain strong.
Similarly, Botswana’s communal grazing zones, established under the Tribal Grazing Land Policy, introduced planned grazing and land-use zoning improving range land management and limiting disputes in communities with effective local governance.
Dr Ibrahim Mohammed Gadafi, a Conflict Management and Resolution researcher and Senior Lecturer at the University for Development Studies, said Ghana could draw valuable lessons from these models.
He explained that adopting grazing reserves would help separate farming and grazing spaces, reduce ambiguity over land use, and provide a predictable framework for managing pastoral mobility.
Dr Gadafi emphasized that grazing reserves should not be imposed through a top-down approach but developed through inclusive land-use planning involving traditional authorities, farmers, herders and local governments.
He said “When communities feel ownership of the process, compliance improves and the risk of violent confrontation declines.”
Advocacy for Grazing Reserves: Role of the Media and CSOs
Across the country, particularly in Northern Ghana, civil society organisations (CSOs) and the media are intensifying advocacy for policy reforms to promote effective livestock grazing and harmonious coexistence between farmers and herders.
One such organisation is TAMA Foundation Universal, a non-governmental organisation committed to peacebuilding, natural resource governance and community development.
Dr Chris Anab, Executive Director of the Foundation, told the GNA that dialogue and consensus-building remained the most effective approaches to addressing farmer-herder tensions cautioning that discrimination and abuse would only escalate the situation.
He said it was time for government and stakeholders to adopt a dispassionate, strategic approach and implement sustainable policies to permanently address the menace.
Dr Anab noted that CSOs were well positioned to facilitate dialogue, build trust between farmers and herders and support evidence-based advocacy on land and natural resource governance.
He added that CSOs could also support community sensitisation, monitor policy implementation and ensure that the rights of vulnerable groups including women and youth, were protected.
Mr Samuel Sam, a Media and Communication Lecturer at the Tamale Technical University, said the media must fully utilize its agenda-setting role by highlighting the realities of farmer-herder tensions and pushing for proactive government action.
He emphasized the critical role of the media in fostering dialogue and driving reforms towards a more resilient and sustainable livestock sector.
Recommendations and the Way Forward
Alhaji Nuhu Abukari, Acting Executive Secretary of the Northern Regional Peace Council, agreed that grazing reserves could contribute meaningfully to addressing farmer-herder tensions if implemented holistically.
He said reserves should be backed by clear legal frameworks to protect them from encroachment, supported with water and veterinary infrastructure to reduce livestock movement, and linked to community-level conflict resolution mechanisms.
Mr Abukari emphasised need for continuous dialogue amongst farmers and herders, strong collaboration among state institutions responsible for land, security and agriculture, and sustained public education on peaceful coexistence.
He cautioned that without political commitment, adequate resourcing and genuine local participation, grazing reserves alone would not deliver lasting peace.
Conclusion.
As Ghana continues to grapple with recurring farmer-herder conflicts, analysts argue that well-planned grazing reserves embedded within broader land-use and peace-building strategies, could offer a practical pathway towards stability, food security and rural development.
Source: Ghana News Agency
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