Bawku: ‘Our people feel abandoned, betrayed by the state’ – Kusaug Peoples Congress

The Kusaug Peoples Congress (KPC) says the people of Kusaug feel abandoned and betrayed by the state.

The Bawku conflict is a long-standing ethnic and chieftaincy dispute between the Kusasi and Mamprusi ethnic groups in Ghana’s Upper East Region. Rooted in rival claims to the Bawku chieftaincy, the conflict has resulted in violence, loss of lives, and instability, severely impacting public services and economic activities.

Despite numerous peace initiatives, tensions persist, making the Zug-Raan Naba Asigri Abugrago Azoka II, the Zug-Raan of Kusaug’s recent directive to keep government offices open an important call for stability in the region.

Addressing the media at a press conference held at the Accra International Press Center on November 7, 2024, the President of the association, Rev. Prof John Azuma noted that the people of Bawku are agonized because they have been betrayed and forsaken by the incumbent government. He further expressed that the Bawku conflict has been prolonged due to the government’s inaction, mixed messaging, and complicity

“Ladies and Gentlemen, all of Kusaug and the people of Bawku are in deep pain. Since November 2021, our people have felt abandoned and betrayed by the State. We want to state emphatically that the conflict has dragged on all this while because of government inaction, mixed messaging, and complicity,” he stated.

He explained that previous governments had prohibited the Mamprusi from performing the funeral rites of their chief, who passed away in 1981. However, the current administration granted permission for the funeral rites, leading to the enskinment of a new chief, despite the existence of an already recognized chief in the area, resulting in chaos between the Mamprusi and Kusasi.

“Under the watch of the current government, the Mamprusis in Bawku performed a funeral of a deposed chief who died way back in 1981. All previous administrations did not permit the performance of this funeral.” He said.

He continued, “Under this government, the Mamprusis performed the funeral in defiance of a court injunction order. They then proceeded to Nalerigu in February 2023 and purportedly enskinned a rival chief for Bawku in total disregard of the fact that Bawku has a fully gazetted Chief who has been on the skin for the past 40 years”, he added.

Source: Starrfm.com.gh