Bawku Naba Praises Asantehene for Fairness in Mediating Bawku Conflict; Urges Reconciliation to Ensure Lasting Peace
The Bawku Naba, Asigri Abugrago Azoka II, has praised the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, for the fairness he demonstrated in mediating the Bawku conflict.
He said the Kusasis have wholly accepted the mediation report and that the path to reconciliation lies in the Mamprusis also accepting the report.
At a news conference in Bawku on Thursday, June 4, 2026, the Secretary to the Bawku Naba, David Adoliba, said: “The Kusaug Traditional Council places on record its profound gratitude to His Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, for the patience, statesmanship, dignity, and extraordinary commitment he demonstrated throughout the mediation process. The Bawku chieftaincy matter is not an ordinary disagreement. It is one of Ghana’s longest-running and most emotionally charged disputes, involving history, identity, law, political memory, and intergenerational trauma. To intervene in such a matter requires exceptional patience, neutrality, and moral courage.”
Fairness
Mr. Adoliba said Otumfuo, by the manner in which he handled the mediation, proved that he stood for fairness. “The Asantehene approached this difficult national responsibility with sobriety and statesmanship.
“Over an extended period, he listened to all sides, received historical and legal submissions, engaged delegations, considered competing claims, and sought common ground in pursuit of peace.
“Importantly, the mediation process was not imposed upon unwilling parties. It was accepted as a national peace effort to which both sides willingly submitted themselves. Delegations representing Mamprugu and Kusaug participated in discussions and placed their positions before the mediator.”
Acceptance
Mr. Adoliba said the government has since accepted and endorsed the mediation report, and it is important for all parties to appreciate that national peacebuilding requires trust in mediators. “We therefore respectfully submit that dissatisfaction with outcomes should not be confused with absence of fairness,” he stated.
