Healing a 30-Year Land Dispute: The Kpandai Story

The boundary dispute between the communities of Nanumba and Saman, near Kpandai in the Savannah Region, had persisted for more than thirty years. What began as a disagreement over the exact location of a stream marking the boundary between their farmlands had escalated into a bitter conflict that had claimed lives, destroyed crops, and torn apart families with ties to both communities.

In 2023, the Zaamani Peace Institute was invited by the Kpandai District Assembly to attempt mediation. Using the ZIPP methodology, our team spent three months conducting conflict analysis, building relationships with both communities, and identifying key stakeholders.

The breakthrough came during the third dialogue session, when Elder Nantomah of Saman recalled a pre-colonial agreement between the ancestors of both communities. This oral record, confirmed by the chief linguist of the Nanumba traditional area, provided a basis for discussion that both communities could accept as legitimate.

After six months of structured dialogue, the two communities signed a peace agreement that included a joint boundary demarcation, a shared water management plan, and the establishment of a bi-community peace committee. The agreement was ratified by the paramount chiefs of both traditional areas in a ceremony attended by over 500 community members.