Bombande urges political parties to disband vigilante groups

Mr Emmanuel Bombande, Senior Mediation Adviser, Department of Political Affairs, United Nations, has urged political parties to disband their vigilante groups as an honour to the late Mr Kofi Annan, former United Nations Secretary-General.

He said: “Mr Annan was an example of true peace, so the people of Ghana should inculcate those values so that from here on, we can deepen our unity, our peace as a people and our democracy.”

Mr Bombande made the appeal in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at the end of the State Funeral Service for the late Mr Annan at the Accra International Conference Centre.

Mr Bombande said those issues such as political party vigilantism, which send out wrong signals to the outside world must be brought to a stop.

“I am talking about the Vigilante groups in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC). And I’m also asking the other political parties not to follow the wrong example by endorsing or creating vigilante group,” he said.

Mr Bombande noted that, it was right not to have those groups because they bring violence and undermine the authority of the state; stating that, “They create a lot of rancour, resentment and hatred and their rampaging is uncontrollable.

He said the rampaging of vigilante groups was uncontrollable such that the police could not control them, which does not speak well of Ghana’s democracy.

“So Kofi Annan is telling us to fight for our democracy,” Mr Bombande stated.

“A lot of appreciation and congratulations need to go to the people of Ghana for holding a deserving, befitting and a beautiful farewell to our own illustrious son of the land, Bosomuru Kofi Annan.”

Mr Annan passed away on August 18, in the Swiss city of Bern after a brief illness.

He was laid to rest at the New Military Cemetery at Burma Camp in Accra.

He and the UN were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize.

Source: GNA