Abstract:
The Dagbon conflict has been the subject of many academic discussions in the
literature. However, the literature has focused more on the historical evolution
of the conflict, as well as the recurring political interference in the conflict. Little
attention, if any, has been paid to the role of government security agencies in
the conflict. Using a desk study review of data, the study examined the
omissions and commissions of the security agencies during the March 2002
communal violence in Yendi. The study found that lack of logistics, failure to
retrieve weapons from private hands before the conflict, as well as several
other security lapses contributed to the outbreak of the conflict and its outcome.
The study concludes that the Yendi crisis exposed serious lapses in Ghana's
government security architecture.