Asantehene Resumes Mediation in Bawku Conflict Today
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, is expected to resume his mediation efforts between the feuding factions in the longstanding Bawku conflict today, April 28, 2025.
The peace sessions, scheduled to run until May 1, 2025, will be held at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi.
This renewed effort follows President John Mahama’s recent reaffirmation of government support for the peace process spearheaded by the Asantehene. The initiative aims to restore stability to the Upper East Region, which has been plagued by violence and unrest.
In a statement issued on April 15, the Manhyia Palace confirmed that both rival factions had agreed to participate in the mediation. The Palace urged all stakeholders to exercise restraint and fully cooperate to achieve a lasting resolution.
The Bawku conflict, rooted in a chieftaincy dispute between the Mamprusi and Kusasi ethnic groups, has seen a surge in violence in recent weeks. Incidents have included the burning of a police station, attacks on police officers — two of whom were killed at Binduri — and an attempt to set fire to the residence of Bawku Central MP and Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga.
In response to the escalating violence, the Interior Ministry revised the curfew in Bawku and Binduri, imposing a 12-hour restriction from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Despite previous attempts to settle the dispute through a Supreme Court ruling and committee investigations, the conflict persists, largely because of deeper disagreements over the traditional ownership of Bawku, rather than merely the legitimacy of the current Bawku Naba.
According to Rev. Professor John Zumah, Executive Director of the Sanneh Institute and Visiting Professor at Yale University, understanding and addressing the historical claims to the land is key to finding a durable solution.
The conflict has resulted in numerous casualties and significant property damage, with The Africa Report noting that 20 people died between December 2022 and February 2023 alone.
Given Otumfuo Osei Tutu II’s successful resolution of the 16-year-old Dagbon chieftaincy dispute, there is cautious optimism among stakeholders that his mediation could bring lasting peace to Bawku.
Story by Adwoa S. Danso
