Nayiri has conceded in peace talks, I recommend he accepts Head of Kusasi as Bawku Chief – Otumfuo

The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II says lasting peace in Bawku requires acknowledging concessions already made by the Nayiri and embracing a consensual traditional leadership arrangement.

Presenting his mediation report on the protracted Bawku conflict to President John Dramani Mahama at the Jubilee House on Tuesday evening, the Asantehene stressed that his role was not to apportion blame but to present facts to advance peace.

“I am here not to give a judgment on who was wrong and who was right. I am here to present the facts as they are for us to have peace,” he stated.

Otumfuo recalled that it has been nearly two and a half years since he was invited to mediate a conflict that “had not only claimed the lives of many innocent souls but has become a major threat to the security of the nation.”

He commended President Mahama for swiftly reaffirming his commitment to the mediation after assuming office.

“Almost a year ago, the people of Ghana handed the mandate of governance to Your Excellency and you wasted no time in reaffirming your commitment to the Bawku mediation,” he said.

The Asantehene revealed that the Nayiri had taken a difficult but principled decision in the interest of peace.

“By the grace of God, the Nayiri has been clear in his mind that his decision to make concessions had been a difficult one,” he noted, adding that the choice was guided by “ancestral wisdom and commitment to peace,” and represented “Mamprugu’s strength, dignity and unwavering commitment to the wellbeing of all communities in the Bawku traditional area.”

Otumfuo said he was inspired by the Nayiri’s posture and his desire to accommodate all ethnic groups.

“I have been inspired by the Nayiri’s commitment to bring a peaceful end to the conflict in Bawku and its environs and to define the best arrangements that accommodate all the different tribes and communities in the area,” he said.

According to the Asantehene, the Nayiri has outlined proposals forming the basis of engagement with both sides. “If a common ground emerges, it will enable them reach an amicable solution,” he explained, recommending acceptance of the Head of the Kusasi as Bawku Chief as part of the peace framework.

The Bawku conflict is a long-running chieftaincy and ethnic dispute primarily involving Mamprusi and Kusasi groups, with roots in colonial-era administrative decisions and competing claims to traditional authority.

Periodic violence has led to loss of life, displacement, and heightened security deployments, prompting repeated state and traditional interventions aimed at restoring calm and sustainable coexistence.