John Dramani Mahama, Ghana’s president, pauses during a session on the opening day of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2014. World leaders, influential executives, bankers and policy makers attend the 44th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, the five day event runs from Jan. 22-25. Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images
President John Dramani Mahama has expressed deep concern over the resurgence of violence in Bawku and its surrounding communities.
Speaking during a courtesy call on the Overlord of Gonjaland, Yagbonwura Tuntumba Boresa II, President Mahama said the unrest was being fuelled by individuals who do not want peace but prefer violence.
“I am worried about the recent surfacing of violence in Bawku and its environs. This violence is being carried out by individuals who don’t want peace but prefer violence,” he said.
The president commended the Yagbonwura for maintaining peace in Gonjaland, stating: “There is no progress without peace and I wish to commend you for the peace that is in Gonjaland.” He expressed his wish that other parts of the country, particularly Bawku, would experience the same level of stability.
“I wish that other places have the joy and peace Gonjaland enjoys,” President Mahama added.
He appealed to stakeholders in the conflict-prone areas to give peace a chance, stressing that the government would not tolerate the killing of students or attacks on them in classrooms. “We cannot accept teachers and public officers running away from Bawku because of the resurgence of violence,” he said.
President Mahama revealed that he had engaged Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, to intervene in the matter and had received a positive response. He also disclosed that he had directed the military to move beyond peacekeeping to actively enforce peace in the affected areas.
He called on the people of Bawku to resist division and prioritise national unity, saying that such conflicts undermine Ghana’s shared heritage.
Gonjaland, located in the Savannah Region, has largely remained peaceful under the leadership of Yagbonwura Tuntumba Boresa II. However, other parts of northern Ghana, including Bawku in the Upper East Region, have experienced recurring conflicts often linked to chieftaincy disputes and ethnic tensions. The Gonja kingdom has been lauded for maintaining relative stability despite historic land and leadership disagreements.
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