Bongo chief urges traditional leaders to end Bawku conflict

The Paramount Chief of the Bongo Traditional Area in Ghana’s Upper East Region, Naba Baba Salifu Atamale, has issued an impassioned plea to Ghana’s prominent traditional leaders to unite in bringing an end to the protracted Bawku chieftaincy conflict.

Speaking at the Gbewa Homing Festival in Nalerigu, organised by the Mamprugu Youth Association (MAYA) on 21 December 2024, Atamale called on influential figures such as the Nayiri, the Ya-Naa, the Bimbila Naa, and the Yagbon-wura to take decisive action towards resolving the crisis. 

The festival, held at the Naa Sherigah Sports Centre, was an opportunity for the paramount chief to chair the occasion and voice his concerns over the worsening violence.

“We have to talk about the need for peace,” Naba Atamale urged. “Our father has emphasised that there is the need for peace and we all know that peace is a requisite tool to development.”

“Without peace, there can never be any meaningful development so let us eschew peace and make sure we develop.”

The Bawku chieftaincy dispute, which has raged for years, continues to wreak havoc on the community. 

It has claimed lives, displaced families, destroyed property, and disrupted education, leaving schools closed and students unable to learn.

Recent escalations have brought even more bloodshed, further compounding the suffering of the people.

Atamale appealed directly to the traditional authorities under the Gbewa fraternity to collaborate and address the root causes of the conflict. 

“The problem I am talking about is the Bawku conflict. I want to use this opportunity to appeal to my father, the Nayiri, Ndan Ya-Naa, Bimbila Naa [and] Yagbon-wura to put their heads together and to find a lasting solution,” he said.

The paramount chief emphasised that the absence of peace in Bawku affects the entire Gbewa fraternity, urging his fellow leaders to rise to the challenge.

“If there is no peace in Bawku, then please, we don’t equal have peace in wherever we are,” he warned.

Naba Atamale’s call to action comes at a critical time, as the people of Bawku yearn for stability to rebuild their community and focus on development.

He remains hopeful that the united efforts of the Gbewa fraternity’s leaders can restore peace and bring hope to a region long overshadowed by conflict.

Reporting by Dokurugu Alhassan in the North East Region

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