Asantehene to continue reconciliation role as gov’t implements Bawku report

The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, will continue to lead reconciliation efforts in Bawku as the government begins implementing recommendations from the accepted mediation report.

This assurance was contained in an official statement from the Presidency following the presentation of the Bawku Conflict Mediation Report at Jubilee House by Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, after months of facilitation at the Manhyia Palace.

Government said it has “fully endorsed and accepted all the findings and recommendations contained in the Mediation Report,” describing the document as “a comprehensive, fact-based, and forward-looking roadmap aimed exclusively at achieving lasting peace and stability in Bawku and its surrounding areas.”

As part of the implementation process, the government formally requested the continued involvement of the Asantehene in guiding post-mediation engagements between the Mamprusi and Kusasi communities.

“Government respectfully requests His Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to continue to lend his distinguished leadership and moral authority to subsequent reconciliation efforts,” the statement said.

The Presidency stressed that the mediation outcomes are not meant to assign blame or suggest victors.

“There are no winners and no losers in this process,” the statement noted, echoing Otumfuo’s guidance to the parties involved.

The government also underscored its adherence to the rule of law, citing long-standing judicial decisions on the chieftaincy dispute.

“The Government affirms the unequivocal position of the law, as consistently upheld by the Supreme Court of Ghana, that Naba Asigri Abugrago Azoka II is the lawful Bawku Naba,” it said.

In line with the report’s recommendations, the government announced plans to facilitate the movement of Alhaji Seidu Abagre to Nalerigu to assume an alternative traditional role under the Nayiri.

“Government will immediately facilitate the safe movement of Alhaji Seidu Abagre to Nalerigu,” the statement added.

Beyond reconciliation, the Presidency acknowledged the socio-economic damage caused by years of instability and outlined measures to support recovery, including the establishment of a GHS1 billion Bawku Revitalisation Fund to be disbursed between 2026 and 2028.

The Mahama administration appealed to traditional authorities, political leaders, youth groups, civil society organisations, religious bodies and development partners to support the peace process.

“Government calls on all stakeholders to support the peace-building and reconciliation process in the spirit of unity, restraint, and patriotism,” the statement said.