The steadfast hand for peace in Bawku

The presentation of the findings and recommendations from the mediation of the protracted Bawku conflict by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, to the President marks a significant and hopeful milestone in one of Ghana’s most enduring chieftaincy disputes.

For more than two years, the Asantehene, with the support of his team laboured quietly, patiently and diligently, engaging all sides, sifting  facts from emotion, and law from sentiment, with the sole objective of achieving peace. That singular focus deserves the commendation of the entire nation.

Otumfuo’s work stands as a model of statesmanship and traditional leadership in its highest form.

He approached the mediation not as a judge eager to apportion blame, but as an unbiased, fair and firm  mediator, guided by the Constitution, the rulings of the Supreme Court and the long arc of historical record.

The Daily Graphic sees his insistence on presenting the findings himself, in full and without intermediaries, as a deliberate act of transparency, meant to dispel rumours and prevent the distortion of facts that have so often fuelled the conflict in Bawku.

Also, the government’s unequivocal endorsement of the recommendation,coupled with the plan to establish a GH¢1 billion Bawku Revitalisation Fund, underscores the gravity of the moment.

It signals that peace is not merely a moral aspiration but a national development imperative.

We must all remember that roads, schools, health facilities, irrigation systems and commercial infrastructure can only flourish where guns are silent and fear is absent.

Development, like trust, cannot take root in a soil constantly tilled by violence.

At the heart of Otumfuo’s mediation is a simple but profound truth that peace is all that is necessary. Without peace, every other argument, being historical, legal or political, loses its meaning and relevance.

It is,  therefore, neither surprising nor unusual that some factions may harbour reservations about aspects of the final outcome.

In conflicts of such depth and duration,  consensus is rare.

Indeed, it would have been surprising if all the parties accept the findings and recommendations wholeheartedly without feeling shortchanged.

But peace processes are not designed to produce total victors; they are designed to prevent total loss.

It is, thus, crucial for all stakeholders to appreciate that road to achieving the peace is a process and not an event.

The presentation of the report and the government’s endorsement  of it do not, by themselves, end the conflict.

They provide a framework or a roadmap that must now be walked with restraint, fellow feeling, patience and goodwill.

We urge every faction, every traditional authority, every youth group and opinion leader to rally behind the recommendation, even where doing so requires sacrifices.

The alternative is a return to a cycle that has already cost too many lives and blighted too many futures.

Otumfuo’s emphasis on the supremacy of the Constitution and the authority of the courts is particularly instructive.

By reminding all, including chiefs, that no one stands above the law, he reaffirmed a foundational principle of Ghana’s democracy.

Respect for lawful authority is not a concession; it is a cornerstone of stability.

Equally important is his call for firm but fair enforcement by the state, without discrimination, to ensure that the conclusions reached are not undermined by impunity.

We again note the reconciliation tone struck by religious leaders and the National Peace Council, and this must now be echoed at the grassroots level.

Dialogue must replace suspicion, and restraint must prevail in moments of provocation.

The youth of Bawku, who have inherited a conflict not of their making, deserve the chance to inherit something better such as safety, opportunity and hope.

In the final analysis, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and his competent team have rendered Ghana a yeoman’s service.

He has shown that traditional authority, when exercised with wisdom, humility and courage, remains a powerful force for national cohesion. 

The task now falls to all parties to honour that effort.

By embracing the recommendations and committing to the long, sometimes uncomfortable work of peace, Bawku can finally begin to breathe again and build a future in which development thrives because conflict no longer exists.