Communal clashes in northern Ghana that started late last month have killed at least 31 people and displaced nearly 50,000, officials said on Thursday, with more than 13,000 fleeing across the border into Côte d'Ivoire.

The violence in Ghana's Savannah Region broke out on August 24 in the village of Gbiniyiri, near the Côte d'Ivoire border, the result of an escalating land dispute that has engulfed a dozen communities.

The conflict began when the local chief sold a parcel of land to a private developer, without broader community consent. When the developer attempted to access the land to begin work, residents resisted violently.

Frustration reached a peak when the chief's palace was set on fire.

Women and children most affected

Interior Minister Mubarak Muntaka said in a radio interview on Thursday that 13,253 Ghanaians had crossed into Côte d'Ivoire, citing figures from Côte d'Ivoire authorities.

Philippe Hien, president of the Bounkani regional council, told AFP that "there are 13,000 people who have arrived in 17 villages" in the area, which is already home to 30,000 refugees from Burkina Faso.

Ghana's National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) said around 48,000 people had been forced from their homes, mostly women and children.

"For the past five days we haven't had any attacks," Savannah Regional NADMO Director Zakaria Mahama told AFP, adding that many displaced are beginning to return home.

Relative calm restored

Both Mahama and Muntaka confirmed the toll of 31 dead.

On the security front, Muntaka said more than 700 military and police officers had been deployed and a curfew instituted.

Savannah Regional Minister Salisu Bi-Awuribe said calm was gradually returning as chiefs and elders worked with security agencies to prevent further clashes.

An investigative committee is being set up with traditional rulers and the National Peace Council to probe the causes and promote reconciliation.