The Bawku conflict is a deep-seated and longstanding ethnopolitical conflict
The National Peace Council (NPC) and its partner Civil Society Organisations have said they are worried about the protracted conflict in Bawku.
The NPC said it has observed that between 2013 to 2017 when the parties used dialogue and other non-violent mechanisms, they were able to resuscitate the Bawku Inter-Ethnic Peace Committee (BIEPC) which has served as an ‘insider mechanism’ for the restoration of peace in Bawku.
“With these engagements and dialogues, the parties achieved a lot of successes which resulted in the de-escalation of the conflict and a return to peace until the recent relapse,” the NPC and CSOs said in a joint statement.
The Council and CSOs are, therefore, calling on all actors, especially traditional leaders and youth groups of both the Mamprusis and the Kusasis in the ongoing conflict to a ceasefire to create the enabling environment for the National Peace Council-led team to begin the role out of nonviolent strategies from short to medium term to address the grievances fueling the conflict.
The NPC said it intends to continue its intervention from April 2022 and, thus, stressed the call to all the parties to support and cooperate with it to find enduring solutions to the problem.
The statement concluded with an appeal to all those who make statements on the matter, either in print, radio, or social media to do so with circumspection and to restrain themselves from pronouncements that could exacerbate the situation.
The Bawku conflict is a deep-seated and longstanding ethnopolitical conflict between two ethnic groups the Kusasis and Mamprusis in the Bawku traditional area. The conflict is identity-based and revolves around the claim for traditional political power (chieftaincy) between the Kusasis and Mamprusis.
The unfortunate events have led to the loss of lives and destruction of property and the imposition of curfews on the Bawku community.
The situation has not only deprived the people of their sources of livelihood but also, affected the education, health delivery, and other commercial activities required for the development.