The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has concluded his months-long mediation in the protracted Bawku chieftaincy conflict with a historic face-to-face meeting between the contending Mamprusi and Kusasi factions at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi.
In a press release issued by the Chief of Staff at Manhyia Palace, Kofi Badu on December 1, 2025, the Asantehene on Monday hosted delegations from both sides in the Jubilee Hall for direct dialogue, marking the final phase of the peace process he initiated earlier this year.
The Mamprusi side was led by Chief Tarana John Wuni Grumah, Paramount Chief of the Tarana Traditional Area and spokesperson for the Overlord of Mamprugu, Naa Bohugu Mahami Abdulai Sheriga.
The 30-member delegation included chiefs, lawyers, academics, opinion leaders, and youth representatives, with Dr. Issah serving as the lead spokesperson.
Representing the Kusasi interest was Naba Tambis Baalug, Paramount Chief of Pusiga, heading the team on behalf of Bawku Naaba Zugraan Asigri Abugrago Azoka II.
Former Lawra MP and veteran politician, Cletus Avoka acted as the delegation’s spokesperson.
The release described the atmosphere as cordial, with both parties acknowledging their shared ancestry and expressing a common desire to end the cycle of violence that has claimed numerous lives and displaced thousands in the Bawku area over decades.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II commended the delegations for the maturity and civility displayed throughout the process and reminded them that, irrespective of the final outcome, the people of Bawku would continue to live as one family.
The Asantehene urged the leaders to immediately begin sensitising their supporters and prepare the ground for permanent peace, stressing that violence and disorder must have no place in their communities.
He announced that he will in the coming days submit a comprehensive report together with his recommendations to President John Dramani Mahama for further action.
Otumfuo expressed hope that the President will act expeditiously by convening a formal meeting of all stakeholders to announce the outcome of the mediation and set the Bawku conflict on a path to lasting resolution.
The Bawku chieftaincy dispute, which dates back to the 1930s but intensified after 2007 following the enskinment of Naa Mahami Sheriga as Bawku Naba by the Nayiri, has seen intermittent clashes between the Mamprusi and Kusasi ethnic groups, resulting in loss of lives, destruction of property, and a heavy military presence in the area.
Successive governments and traditional authorities have attempted to resolve the impasse, but Otumfuo’s personal intervention, leveraging his stature as one of Ghana’s most respected traditional rulers, is seen as one of the most promising efforts in recent years.