Ghana’s peace in slippage, ranks 58th in 2013 Peace Index

Ghana has slipped to the 58th position in the 2013 Global Peace Index (GPI) published June 11, 2013.The country placed 50th and 42nd in the 2012 and 2011 editions of the Index.

Ghana had a score of 1.899, according to the Index produced by the Australian-based Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP).

Ghana’s peace position also dropped in sub-Saharan Africa. The country placed 7th compared to 2012 where it ranked 5th.

Mauritius topped sub-Saharan Africa followed by Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Lesotho and Tanzania.

Ghana placed 50th and 42nd in the 2012 and 2011 editions of the Index respectively.

Ghana is currently battling with an ongoing election petition at the Supreme Court which is to test the validity of the country’s 2012 elections. Some are of the view the election petition might put the country’s peace under threat.

But Chairman of the National Peace Council disagrees with that perception or notion. “The fact that we chose the path of rule of law in seeking justice without going on the street as it happened in Kenya and Cote d’ Ivoire and everybody has access to what is going on at the Supreme Court, is an indication that Ghanaians are very peace-loving who are pursuing justice,” Most Reverend Professor Emmanuel Asante told the Ghana News Agency in a recent interview.

Professor Emmanuel Asante indicated that the country’s peace is intact.

The 2013 GPI measured peace in 162 countries according to 22 qualitative and quantitative indicators of the absence of violence and fear of violence.

The GPI investigates the extent to which countries are involved in ongoing domestic and international conflicts.

Iceland topped the global rankings.

According to the Index, the world has become 5% less peaceful since 2008 and Europe is the most peaceful region, with 13 of the top 20 most peaceful countries.

By Ekow Quandzie