Bawku Conflict: We’re Working to Forestall Terrorist Infiltration- Asantehene
The King of the Asante Kingdom has justified the relentless efforts towards bringing lasting peace and security in Bawku in the Upper East Region of Ghana.
The King foresees that terrorists could take advantage of the inflamed security state in the border town if the conflict between the Mamprugus and the Kusasis persists.
As such, he says all avenues are being explored to put an end to the years-long conflict.
“Recently there have been some communal skirmishes in the northern part of Ghana, closer to Burkina Faso but we are making every effort to make sure we have peace in that area. We shouldn’t allow for the penetration of terrorism,” he said during an engagement with the UK Advanced Command and Staff College (ACSC) Course 28 on May 1, 2025, at the Manhyia Palace.
His Majesty has been at the heart of the conflict resolution, mediating between the parties.
Otumfuo last met the parties on April 28 at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi.
The conflict is fuelled by the factions’ imposition of their legitimacy over Bawku town.
According to Rev. Professor John Zumah, the Executive Director of the Sanneh Institute and Visiting Professor at Yale University, the issue is not so much about who the legitimate Bawku Naba is currently, but about whose traditional homeland Bawku is.
The conflict has claimed many lives and caused millions of cedis in damages.
The Africa Report states that 20 people died between December 2022 and February 2023 as a result of the conflict.
A committee was set up to investigate the issues, and the Supreme Court of Ghana has ruled on the case, but all these attempts have proven futile in settling the dispute.
Following the Asantehene’s resolution of the 16-year-old Dagbon chieftaincy dispute, stakeholders called on the government to reach out to the King for a resolution of the Bawku dispute.
Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini
