Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, on Sunday brought the two warring sides in the long-running Bawku chieftaincy conflict together for the first time in a historic face-to-face meeting at the Manhyia Palace Jubilee Hall in Kumasi, effectively concluding several months of intensive mediation efforts.
The meeting saw a 30-member delegation from the Mamprugu Traditional Area, led by Chief Tarana John Wuni Gnumah and speaking on behalf of the Overlord of Mamprugu (Naayiri) Naa Bohugu Mahami Abdulai Sheriga, sit across from a delegation representing Bawku Naaba Zugran Asigri Aburgrago Azoka II and the Kusasi ethnic group, led by Naba Tambis Baalug, Paramount Chief of Pusiga.
Former Bawku Central MP Cletus Avoka served as spokesperson for the Kusasi side, while Dr Issah spoke for the Mamprusi delegation.
After months of separate audiences in which both parties presented their historical and legal arguments, the Asantehene deemed the time ripe for direct dialogue.
Sources close to the palace described the atmosphere as “remarkably cordial,” with both delegations repeatedly stressing their shared ancestry and affirming that there is no justifiable reason for continued bloodshed.
In his closing remarks, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II commended both sides for their maturity and civility throughout the process.
He reminded them that, regardless of the outcome, Mamprusis and Kusasis are “brothers and sisters” destined to co-exist, and urged community leaders to begin preparing their followers to embrace permanent peace and abandon violence.
The Asantehene disclosed that he will submit a comprehensive report containing his findings and proposals to President John Dramani Mahama within the next few days.
He expressed hope that the President will act swiftly by convening all stakeholders to announce and implement the mediation outcome formally.
The Bawku chieftaincy conflict, which has claimed numerous lives and displaced thousands over decades, revolves around competing claims to the Bawku skin between the Mamprusi and Kusasi communities.
Sunday’s meeting marks the closest the parties have come to a negotiated settlement in recent years and has been widely hailed as a significant breakthrough facilitated by the revered Asantehene’s personal intervention.
Traditional leaders, civil society groups, and residents of Bawku have expressed cautious optimism, with many calling on both sides to honour whatever recommendations emerge from the Asantehene’s mediation in the interest of lasting peace in the Upper East Region.
