Bawku conflict: Government to use traditional mediation for sustainable peace – Omane Boamah

The Minister for Defence, Dr Edward Kofi Omane Boamah has assured Ghanaians that the government will adhere to traditional methods in addressing the long-standing Bawku conflict.

Speaking after a meeting on Wednesday, February 13 2025, at the Ministry of Defence, Dr Omane Boamah said efforts are underway to restore peace to the area.

The Minister of Interior, Muntaka Mubarak, the Chief of the Defence Staff and Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, and other Members of Parliament attended the meeting. 

Discussions centred on the security situation in Bawku and measures to stabilise the area.

“We will continue to follow traditional mechanisms to resolve this conflict. Peace and stability must return to Bawku and other affected communities, and I am determined to support that cause,” Dr Omane Boamah said.

The Bawku conflict, rooted in a protracted chieftaincy dispute between the Kusasi and Mamprusi ethnic groups, has resulted in recurrent violence in the Upper East Region. Several lives have been lost, with many residents displaced.

The government has maintained that engaging traditional leaders and stakeholders remains the best approach to addressing the dispute.

President John Dramani Mahama recently visited Bawku, where he met with traditional rulers, including Bawku Naba, Zugraan Naba Asigri Abugrago Azoka II, and the Nayiri, of the Mamprugu Traditional Area Naa Bohagu Mahami Abdulai Sheriga to reaffirm the government’s position.

President Mahama described the restoration of peace in Bawku as one of his top priorities.