The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has arrived back in Kumasi after a high-profile working visit to the national capital, where he formally presented the Bawku Conflict Mediation Report to President John Dramani Mahama at the Jubilee House.
The report, which is the culmination of months of intensive dialogue led by the Ashanti King, offers a strategic roadmap for resolving the decades-long chieftaincy and ethnic dispute between the Kusasi and Mamprusi factions in the Upper East Region.
During the presentation on Tuesday, December 16, the Asantehene emphasized that the process was a mediation aimed at reconciliation rather than a legal arbitration to declare a winner, urging all parties to embrace the findings for the sake of national security and regional development.
President Mahama, who received the document in the presence of senior government officials and traditional leaders, expressed profound gratitude to the Asantehene for his dedication to restoring peace.
The President noted that the conflict has long hindered the economic potential of Bawku and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to implementing the committee’s recommendations swiftly. Following the handover, the government announced the establishment of a GH¢1 billion revitalization fund to support infrastructure and social projects in the Bawku area over the next three years.
The Asantehene’s return to the Manhyia Palace marks the conclusion of this critical phase of the peace process, with the onus now on the state to enforce the legal frameworks and foster the reconciliation suggested in the report.
Ruth Abla ADJORLOLO
