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The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has explained that the prolonged Bawku conflict has deep roots in colonial-era administrative decisions, revealing that both the Kusasi and Mamprusi factions made concessions during his mediation process.
Speaking while presenting his Bawku Mediation Report to President John Dramani Mahama at the Jubilee House on Tuesday, December 16, Otumfuo traced the origins of the conflict to policies introduced during British colonial rule.
According to the Asantehene, when the British arrived in Bawku in 1901, they were dissatisfied with the existing Tendana system, which recognised earth priests as custodians of land. The colonial administration subsequently introduced elements of the chieftaincy system, appointing chiefs from among Tendanas where possible and selecting other individuals in areas where suitable Tendanas could not be identified.
Otumfuo explained that the Kusasi faction maintains that it was during this period that the Mamprusi presented themselves to the British as chiefs of their ethnic communities, leading to their recognition and registration by colonial authorities. He stressed that the Tendana institution was never abolished and continued to exist alongside the newly introduced chieftaincy structure.
He further noted that tensions intensified when some Mamprusi chiefs allegedly abused their authority over Kusasi landowners. This, he said, led the Kusasis to remove Mamprusi chiefs and install their own leaders.
Providing further historical context, the Asantehene stated that following the death of the last Mamprusi chief in 1956, the Kusasis selected Abugrago Azorka I as Bawku Naba in 1957. After his death in 1983, his son was chosen in 1984 to succeed him as Zugraan Bawku Naba Asigri Abugrago Azorka II, a position he continues to hold.
Otumfuo noted that successive governments had made several attempts to resolve the conflict over the decades, with limited success until the current mediation process. He emphasised that the report presented was the outcome of mediation, not arbitration, and was aimed at fostering dialogue and achieving lasting peace rather than assigning blame.
The presentation of the mediation report marks a significant step in ongoing efforts to bring sustainable peace to the conflict-prone Bawku municipality.
