By Amos SAFO
Hardly does a year pass without an escalation of the century-old Bawku chieftaincy crisis. For decades, the chieftaincy dispute continues to kill and displace thousands of people, especially women and children.
In fact, Bawku, a former illustrious commercial town on the northern border between Ghana and Burkina Faso is now a dead town, only known for violence, rebel activities, killing and maiming people. In short, Bawku has suffered major economic setback in recent times due to series of factors, the main one being instability.
Undoubtedly, the town has become a nagging headache for Ghana because the unending chieftaincy dispute has made Ghana to be classified among some of the most unstable countries in Africa. These countries include Sudan, Somalia, Central Africa Republic, Mali and Burkina Faso.
Historical background
The conflict emerged out of a longstanding ethnic and political conflict that has affected the commercial town and its surroundings in the Upper East Region of Ghana. Historically, Bawku is predominantly inhabited by two main ethnic groups: the Kusasis and the Mamprusis. The conflict between these two tribes has roots in historical tensions, competition over resources, and political rivalries.
Over the years, the conflict featured violent and deadly clashes involving armed attacks and arson, as well as revenge killings among the Kusasis and Mamprusi. Similarly, vigilante youth groups, such as the Kusasi Youth Association (KYA) and the Mamprusi Youth Association (MAYA) were formed and often armed by interest groups, including politicians and business people.
Security analysts have identified the major causes of the conflict as land disputes, disagreements over chieftaincy, struggles over political power, increasing poverty gaps, and competition over scarce resources. Other factors include high poverty levels, youth unemployment, and inadequate access to both education and healthcare.
Unfortunately, any government in power supports one of the factions, either Kusasis of Mamprusis. The conflict intensified in the 1990s for political reasons, with enmity between Ghana’s two main political parties, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Health consequences
For decades the intractable conflict has caused enormous health disruptions for the affected population, especially women and children. This has contributed to a notable loss of life, especially infant and maternal mortality. This trend has immensely and negatively impacted the physical and mental wellness of the people in the region.
Furthermore, the violence has contributed to a considerable amount of physical trauma. Individuals have been subjected to gunshot wounds and machete attacks, that cost several lives. In most scenarios, displaced citizens undergo pathetic standards of living, insufficient access to healthcare, and exposure to diseases and malnutrition.
This is mostly due to healthcare institutions being ruined or forced to closed down in the worse affected areas. The most serious scar of the conflict occurs when pregnant women are unable to access anti-natal care at healthcare centers due to the avoidance of violence. In my opinion, more indigenes of Bawku are living in other parts of Ghana outnumber those residing in the ghost town.
Current violence
The current violence which started on October 24, 2024 was due to the return of an exiled chief to Bawku. He returned after an arrest warrant issued against him was revoked. The court ordered his arrests for illegally proclaiming himself as a chief. The question is what was the justification for a court to revoke its earlier warrant?
Undoubtedly, the court’s decision emboldened the contending chief to reenter Bawku, a decision which angered the chief who describes himself as the legitimate chief. An imminent clash led to the killing of more than 20 people, including children and women.
According to media reports, the violence started when some assailants set up roadblocks at both Gbimsi and Walewale to identify potential targets. The reports said, some passengers caught in the road block were subjected to interrogation to reveal their identities.
In ensuing confrontation, eight people were killed, while two vehicles were set ablaze, raising significant security concerns in the region. This account underscores the fear and chaos experienced during the attack, as well as frustrations regarding the lack of timely intervention from security forces.
Curfew
In response the government imposed a curfew, which once more reduced Bawku a to ghost town. In fact, I have lost count of the number curfews that have been imposed on Bawku since the 1990s.
The recent curfew is one of countless security measures successive governments have imposed on the town to restore peace and calm. Sadly, these measures have over the years failed to yield the desired outcomes.
As in the past, there are ongoing debates that the government should consider instituting a permanent military presence, as permanent solution. Other people however, argue that a military cannot solve the conflict.
Since the conflict escalated in the 1990s to date governments have spent millions of scare taxpayer’s monies to keep peace in a town which is contributing very little, if any to the gross domestic product of the country In fact, Bawku which used to produce the bulk of Ghana’s onions has lost its competitiveness to framers in Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, who are now feeding Ghana with vegetables.
Women on the streets
So chaotic is the current unrest that women for the first time took to the streets to demand a permanent solution to the festering conflict. Rarely do women demonstrate to demand their rights; therefore, the recent demonstration by our mothers, wives and sisters at Bawku should send the right signals to the warring factions and interest groups that are fueling and funding the conflict that enough is enough. I am particularly worried about raising children in such an intimidating and volatile environment.
Generations of the youth at Bawku and its surroundings are growing up with the sound of guns, the sight of blood and dead people, and experiencing hatred and enmity. What legacy are the chiefs, elders, politicians and religions leaders from Bawku leaving for the next generation. Undoubtedly, the warring factions have laid the foundation for their children to inherit a war they are not party to.
In fact, Bawku has become Ghana’s biggest security risk, given its closeness to equally volatile countries like Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. As far back 2001, the former Minister of Defence, Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor stated that the conflict in Bawku was embarrassing on the global scene and also scaring investors away.
He, therefore, appealed to the chiefs and opinion leaders in Bawku to work closely with their people to ensure that peace returned to Bawku. Indeed, Bawku has reduced Ghana to a laughing stock internationally, because while our gallant military and police men and women are keeping peace in South Sudan, Somalia, Sudan and other conflict areas in the world, there is fire in their backyard.
Playing politics
Commenting on the recent clashes, the Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mr. Stephen Asamoah Boateng cautioned the feuding factions to stop politicizing such a sensitive national issue.
Perhaps, the Minister needs to admit that the entire Bawku conflict, which started during the first republic has political undertones. At various stages of the conflict various governments, both military and civilian had interest in sustaining the conflict.
I heard Mr. Cletus Akoka a native of the area and a former minister of interior challenging the current government to try and end the conflict. If ending it was that easy it should have ended during the 19 years of the PNDC and NDC regimes, the longest period of the consolidation of power in Ghana’s history.
As I stated earlier, no one, but the indigenes of Bawku can end this blot on the brand of Ghana. Much as I support calls for the government to act swiftly to stop the violence, it is the people of Bawku who must demonstrate their commitment to end the war.
Small arms
In 2001 the Defence Minister, Dr. Addo Kufour who led a delegation to Bawku appeal to those in possession of arms and ammunition to relinquish them as a starting point to promote peaceful coexistence. His appeal fell on deaf ears and that was the end of the case.
At the crust of the conflict is the unwillingness of the warring factions at Bawku to surrender their arms. Over the years, the possession of small arms has it impossible for the security agencies to keep the peace and to disarm the warring factions.
Not only have the people of Bawku showed no commitment to surrender their arms, but they have also failed to volunteer any relevant information for the security agencies to act.
There are indications that both factions have more sophisticated weapons than the Bawku Police. One report suggested that in Bawku every household has one or two guns, including AK47s. AK47s are specially procured for the military and police; so, why and how are civilians possessing these deadly weapons?
Critical questions
There are critical questions to be answered by politicians and business people who hail from Bawku. Who are buying the arms and ammunition for the warring factions, whose interest is the war serving?
Where do the poor people who can hardly get two square meals a day get money to buy guns and bullets? I have said in previous write-ups on the Bawku situation that it does not make sense for two bald men to be fighting over a comb. The land has already been decimated by the conflict, so what are the Kusasis and Mamprusis fighting over?
In 2001 and 2002 when the conflict once more made national and international headlines the Kufour Administration announced plans to establish a commission to investigate the conflict, in a bid to finding a lasting solution.
Twenty-three years on we are back to square one, with the people still fighting and killing each other. Are we living in the jungle. Are there no laws to take care of such conflicts? Is Ghana in a state war?
In 2001, then Attorney General and currently, the President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo pointed out that the biggest problem facing the government was how to find jobs for the youth irrespective of ethnic origin.
He lamented that the youth were using their energies to kill each other, instead of engaging in productive ventures. Then Attorney General urged the chiefs and elders to counsel the youth that, “life is better than death” and “all should make sure that all our lives go forward.”
Mr. President, the current Bawku Naba, Naba Azoka has appealed to your government to prevail on the Mamprusis in Bwaku to recognise him as the legitimate chief of Bawku. This lack of recognition of the current Bawku Naba is the foundation of the conflict.
It is unfortunate that people who have lived together, inter-married, do business together, worship in the same mosques and churches can in the least provocation, resort to taking arms against each other because of chieftaincy. What is the relevance of chieftaincy when there are no people?
Mr. President, you have barely four weeks to end your eight-year tenure. Therefore, you need to establish a roadmap for a permanent solution to the conflict. Ghanaians will then elect the next president to continue the roadmap. You did it with the Dagbon conflict and you can set the pace for a peaceful resolution of the Bawku conflict in future.
