Today after an open and exhaustive deliberation, both the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and News Patriotic Party (NPP) have agreed to instigate key stakeholders and experts into the ongoing vigilante disbandment talks.

The NPP and NDC had earlier met with the National Peace Council on April 9, 2019 to focus on terms of engagement and ground rules for disbanding their militia group.

Meanwhile, in a communique from the Peace Council signed by Ofosu Ampofo, NDC’s National Chairman and Freddy Blay, National Chairman of the NPP, both parties agreed to include representatives of Civil Society Organisations, Security Agencies, and Religious Bodies into the dialogue which took place today April 29, 2019, at the Peduase Valley Resort.

The two parties also agreed on disbanding vigilante groups operating within or for political purposes, prohibiting the ownership, hiring, or utilisation of such groups by the political parties or members and also cooperating with state agencies and stakeholders in the total eradication of such groups or incidents of vigilantism in the country.

The statement further indicated that, “The parties agreed on an immediate scope of dialogue. They agreed to commence a discussion on the elimination of vigilantism with other key stakeholders. These stakeholders shall include representatives of Civil Society Organisations, Security Agencies, and Religious Bodies”.



background

Calls for disbanding political vigilante groups comes on the back of the violence that marred the Ayawaso by-elections.

A Commission of Inquiry was set up to probe the violence and one of the recommendations of the Commission was to disband political vigilante groups.

The President after calls intensified, requested that the two main parties meet and find solutions to political vigilantism.



After several back and forth, the two parties agreed to meet on April 9 to mainly focus on terms of engagement and ground rules.