Abraham Amaliba, the Director of Conflict Resolution for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has expressed doubts over the effectiveness of the Peace Pact signed by the presidential candidates.
On November 28 in Accra, various political parties and their candidates participating in the upcoming December 7 elections formalized their commitment to a peaceful electoral process by signing the 4th Presidential Election Peace Pact.
This agreement aimed to ensure tranquillity before, during, and after the elections.
Nevertheless, in an interview with Selorm Adonoo on Channel One TV‘s The Big Issue, Amaliba expressed scepticism about the significance of such peace agreements.
He argues that the perpetrators of violence have shifted from vigilante groups to state security forces that continue to engage in violent acts during elections, asserting that the peace agreement will yield no positive outcomes.
The director of Conflict Resolution for the National Democratic Congress questioned the absence of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, National Security Minister Albert Kan Dapaah, and other officials responsible for citizen protection and security at the peace pact signing ceremony.
“For me, this old-style peace pact signing does not address the current situation we find ourselves in, particularly when it comes to violence. You notice that from 2017, Ayawaso West Wuogon [by election], the violence that we see at our collation centres or election areas, it’s not the violence that we used to see in 1992, 1998.
“This violence has now changed, in the past, it was macho men [well-built men], allegedly belonging to the political parties who were causing mayhem. And so, those peace pacts could address that type of threat. Today, the threat is no longer coming from vigilanteism and the fact that the political parties have disowned them. Now, unfortunately, the threat is coming from state agencies.
“This old style of peace pact cannot address this type of situation. I expected the Peace Council and IDEG who were the conveners of this peace pact to have provided a place for the president to sign because he’s the commander-in-chief of the army. It was the army that was used and it will be used this time.
“I expected the signing of the national security minister, interior minister, and minister of defence. The violence has shifted, it’s now state army and state-sponsored attacks on citizens. So for me, this peace pact is much-ado about nothing, because it’s not going to address the use of the army.”
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