Interior Minister Raises Alarm Over 449 Conflict Hotspots Nationwide
The Minister for the Interior, Hon. Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, has expressed deep concern over the growing number of conflict hotspots across the country, despite ongoing efforts to strengthen community peace structures.
He made the remarks on Wednesday 10th December, 2025 at the Presidency when the National Peace Council (NPC) paid a courtesy call on the President at the Jubilee House.
Addressing the President, the Minister noted that the latest national peace map paints a worrying picture, revealing 449 conflict hotspots nationwide as of last month.
According to him, the data presents a paradox, where some regions appear heavily marked on the peace map yet record fewer violent confrontations, while others with fewer hotspots experience more severe conflicts.
“Your Excellency, as of last month, we recorded about 449 hotspots across the country,” the Minister explained.
“What is interesting is that regions such as Central and Ashanti have large numbers of hotspots—88 and 68 respectively—yet they experience far fewer violent incidents compared to the five northern regions, which together have 120 hotspots but continue to record more violent resistance.”
Hon. Muntaka attributed the disparity to differences in conflict resolution approaches across regions.
“In regions like Ashanti and Central, communities often resort to the courts to resolve disputes,” he noted.
“But in parts of the northern regions, conflicts unfortunately escalate quickly, and sometimes issues are resolved the ‘bullet way’ instead of through dialogue.”
The Minister emphasized that this reality underscores the importance of strengthening alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, particularly in vulnerable communities.
He praised the Peace Council for its continued efforts in promoting dialogue and community engagement but urged even stronger collaboration to reduce tensions across the country.
“Your Excellency, the work of the Peace Council is critical. Their role is to encourage communities to adopt peaceful methods of resolving conflicts,” he said.
“We are confident that under your leadership, government will not sit aloof for any group or community to take actions that could set one against another.”
Hon. Muntaka reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to supporting the Council and ensuring sustained peace and coexistence among all communities.
“We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that, under your leadership, our people live together peacefully and resolve conflicts in a lawful and non-violent manner,” he assured.
The courtesy call forms part of the National Peace Council’s engagements with key state actors ahead of its nationwide sensitization and conflict-prevention programmes.
