Kaderi Noagah Bukari

• PhD
• Senior Research Fellow at University of Cape Coast

While the number of infectious zoonotic disease outbreaks has been rising, their impact on civil war and social conflict is poorly understood. This study addresses this fundamental limitation using a geolocated monthly dataset on 22 zoonotic diseases in Africa. Zoonotic disease is a key driver of new epidemics, making such pathogens a useful test c...

Political vigilantism has come out as an offshoot of the violence that characterises multi-party elections in Ghana. Several studies on political vigilantism give primacy to the role of structural factors in explaining the phenomenon in Ghana. However, such a notion deprives political vigilantes of any sense of agency and further evades how the und...

The rise of political vigilante groups threatens democratic consolidation, peace and security of elections and national cohesion in Ghana. These vigilante groups, networked and sometimes formed by political party leaders, are mainly used for party election-related activities that go beyond ensuring success for their political party in elections to...

Farmers coping strategies against harvest failures have implication for future adaptation to such shocks. Previous studies on farmers’ vulnerability and response to shocks have emphasized on adaptation, at the expense of their coping to such shocks. Using a survey data from 299 farm households in northern Ghana, this study has analyzed farmers’ cop...

Farmer–herder conflicts occur in many agroecological areas in Ghana. These conflicts are often violent with devastating consequences. Interestingly, many victims of farmer–herder violence still live in conflict zones despite the dangers and threats to their lives. In order to survive in such situations, some coping strategies are needed. The study...

The complexity of contemporary violent conflicts requires a shift from the traditional notion that preventing conflicts and building peace reside within governments to include the role of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs). Using a qualitative research design with 20 in-depth interviews conducted with representatives of CSOs in northern Ghana, the...

The protracted chieftaincy conflict in Dagbon in the Northern Region of Ghana was recently resolved through an interplay of formal and informal resolution mechanisms, where the latter dominated the peace-making process with home-grown peace mechanisms. In the past, the state through formal liberal peace mechanisms like the law courts, committees an...

The protracted chieftaincy conflict in Dagbon in the Northern Region of Ghana was recently resolved through an interplay of formal and informal resolution mechanisms, where the latter dominated the peace-making process with home-grown peace mechanisms. In the past, the state through formal liberal peace mechanisms like the law courts, committees an...

This paper presents evidence from two cases in Ghana (Agogo and Gushiegu) to examine why farmer–herder conflicts escalate into violence. It argues that aside from resource competition, and crop damage, there are multi-faceted and dynamic processes and factors involved. The cases show that such violent conflicts can be explained by a constellation o...

This study examines market women’s participation in peacebuilding in the Ekumfi-Narkwa community in the Central Region of Ghana. In peacebuilding, women are often considered victims and passive targets for aid, rather than contributors to the process. Many studies and peacebuilders have neglected the critical role played by women in the informal se...

Leadership deficiencies have been touted as one source of violent conflict in Africa. This has been shown to derive from the early post-independence leaders urge to develop their countries, which did not allow them to open up the political space for popular participation. The formation of one-party states and the rise of dictatorships rather worsen...

This book was conceived as a testament to the life and times of Mr. Francis Kojo Azuimah – the first Executive Secretary of the National Peace Council (NPC) of Ghana. The late Executive Secretary worked tirelessly not only to pre-empt and manage conflicts, but also drew attention of policy makers to the underlying causes of conflict. Consequent...

Chieftaincy conflicts in Ghana are often presented as disputes involving rival groups over succession to traditional political power. However, chieftaincy conflicts are complex and often shaped by constellation of different actors, national and local level politics and elite maneuvering. This paper argues that chieftaincy conflicts go beyond the st...

The quest for land in Ghana has resulted in multiple claims to land, led to violent land conflicts and intensified chieftaincy conflicts. It has also led to private land owners and developers employing the services of land guards as means of securing and protecting their lands. These land guards, who are often armed, attack rival groups thereby en...

Decentralisation reforms place emphasis on crafting formal institutions of local government to either replace inefficient ones or to make them robust. This approach to local government is informed by Mainstream Institutional ideas that suggest institutions can be consciously designed to facilitate good governance. This chapter questions the simplis...

The relationship between environmental change and migration has generated considerable scholarly debate. In part the literature suggests that climate change in the Sahel is 'forcing' pastoralist groups (mainly Fulani) to migrate to semi-arid West African countries, including Ghana, due to resource scarcity and climatic conditions. Using interviews,...

Violent conflicts between farmers and pastoralists are reported in national media and public discourse to have increased in Ghana and are intricately linked to human security related issues. Some media and research reports attribute farmer-pastoralist conflicts to resource scarcity, environmental and climate change, thus reiterating the environment...

This paper examined the impacts of large-scale land holdings on Fulani pastoralists’ livelihoods in Agogo, Ghana in the light of questions of Fulani citizenship and increased violent conflicts between farmers and pastoralists. The study is theoretically conceptualized within issues of belonging, citizenship and legitimacy, which have heralded pasto...

Despite periodic violent conflict between farmers and Fulani herders in many parts of Ghana, cooperative relations between them remain strong. They are “cultural neighbors” who cooperate both in times of violent conflict and during periods of no conflict. Cooperation between them is expressed through everyday interactions, cattle entrustment, resou...

This paper argues that livestock raids and pastoralists’ competition over water and pastures in north-western Kenya are manifestations of local ethnic political contests and rivalries. The culture of raiding among the Samburu, Turkana, Pokot, Borana, Gabra and Rendille communities has changed over the last 40 years. Whereas elders were once the gat...

This study is premised in the light of reports of increased violent conflicts between local farmers and Fulani herders in Ghana against the backdrop of debates of the role of environmental change/scarce resources in these conflicts. In the midst of these violent conflicts, however, are cooperation and resource sharing between farmers and herders as...

With increase in the value of land in Agogo-Ghana through commercialisation, commoditisation and expansion in agricultural activities, different resource users are all scouting for resources (land). These actors include local farmers, migrant farmers, Fulani pastoralists and tree plantation and agro companies. Farmers and pastoralists in particular...

Ghana is often seen as peaceful, but is faced with many chieftaincy conflicts that result mainly from succession to the throne (skin or stool) for traditional political power. Ghana has more than 230 chieftaincy disputes dotted across many parts of the country. However, the Bulsa Traditional Area (Buluk) of Ghana has had a stable and resilient chie...

Ghana is often seen as peaceful, but is faced with many chieftaincy conflicts that result mainly from succession to the throne (skin or stool) for traditional political power. Ghana has more than 230 chieftaincy disputes dotted across many parts of the country. However, the Bulsa Traditional Area (Buluk) of Ghana has had a stable and resilient chie...

The purpose of this paper is to analyze stereotypes and prejudices of Fulani pastoralists as they have become an important part of national and local community policies and discourses. We show how these attitudes have subtly led to Fulani exclusion and discrimination and structured community-pastoralist relations. Typical stereotypes and prejudices...

Following growing demand for land in Africa, there are increased land tenure insecurity for minority groups including pastoralists, limited resources for pastoralists and contestations over access and use of land. The situation intensifies with increasing land value and scarcity as a result of commoditisation, individualisation and commercialisatio...

Following the recent evolution in the demand for land due to population growth and urbanisation in Africa, there are rising contestations and conflicts over the ownership, access and use of customary land. The situation intensifies with increasing land values and scarcity as a result of commoditisation, individualisation and commercialisation of la...

Many conflict resolution measures have been used and continue to be used in order to bring peace to Bawku, but the area does not yet experience lasting peace. This paper examines the challenges and prospects of the peace process in the ethnic conflict in the Bawku Traditional Area, in the Upper East Region of Ghana. As part of this, the study also...

The role of CSOs in peace building is very unique since they are often seen by factions in conflicts as neutral and trustworthy. This paper is an empirical study which examines the roles of CSOs in the peace building process in the ethnic conflict in the Bawku Traditional Area of Ghana using views of 220 respondents. As part of this, the paper make...

Ghana has a number of ethnic conflicts, most of which are protracted mainly because of the type and nature of conflict resolution mechanisms that are used in finding solutions to them. Many of the solutions to these conflicts often fail to adopt home-based mechanisms (indigenous) in resolving them since most of our conflicts have traditional underp...

This book examines how ethnic conflict affects socio-economic development in the Bawku Traditional Area of Ghana. It is based on empirical research carried out in 2010. The study revealed that the conflict between the Kusasis and Mamprusis has negatively affected local development in the areas of businesses, education, healthcare, agriculture, secu...

The last decades have seen internal conflicts in many countries around the world with Africa having the largest share of these conflicts. Ghana has often been described internationally as one of the most stable, democratic and peaceful country in Africa. However, this image as a beacon of peace in Africa is marred by internecine ethnic and chieftai...

The paper reviewed a number of suicide episodes with specific focus on Ghana. It also discussed the risk factors contributing to suicide such as gender, age, marital status, social inclusion, alcohol use and abuse and depression. The paper further discussed the sociological, psychological and biological theories of suicide. The warning signs of sui...

The paper reviewed a number of suicide episodes with specific focus on Ghana. It also discussed the risk factors contributing to suicide such as gender, age, marital status, social inclusion, alcohol use and abuse and depression. The paper further discussed the sociological, psychological and biological theories of suicide. The warning signs of sui...