As part of ongoing efforts to resolve the protracted conflict in Bawku, the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu Ababio, is expected to meet the Kusaug Traditional Council in Kumasi today, Monday, June 30, 2025.
This forms part of the high-level interventions the Asantehene has adopted to mediate between the two factions –the Mamprusi and Kusasi ethnic groups –whose differing oppositions have fueled conflict in the area for decades.
A Sunday, June 29, 2025 statement issued by the Manhyia Palace contained the schedule for the planned meeting, calling on the parties involved to cooperate and support the effort being undertaken to bring the matter under control.
Prior to this, Otumfuo had engaged representatives from both factions in a three-day closed-door meeting at the Manhyia Palace in April 2024, where the Bawku Naba, Abugrago Azoka II, was present.
That meeting, held under tight security, marked the first time in several years that leaders of both factions sat at the same table, a move which has been widely supported by government and civil society.
Lauding a similar role played by the Asantehene in resolving the Dagbon conflict, President John Dramani Mahama, during a recent visit by Otumfuo to the Jubilee House, expressed optimism in getting a similar outcome from the ongoing process.
Meanwhile, there is a curfew in place at Bawku and its surrounding communities amid the ongoing peace talks. Following attacks on some security personnel, government placed a ban on the carrying of arms which still in effect, as well as reinforcement of military presence in the area.
The Minister of Interior, Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, has said that the ongoing operations are guided by intelligence and disarmament measures.
The Bawku conflict, rooted in colonial-era disagreements over traditional succession, has escalated in recent years. Gun violence, road ambushes, and the burning of homes and businesses have become frequent.
Monday’s engagement with the Kusaug Traditional Council is expected to pave the way for further discussions with Mamprusi leaders and other affected groups.
Defence Minister assures Otumfuo of gov’t’s commitment to restoring peace in Bawku
