The Member of Parliament for Zebilla, Cletus Avoka, has pointed to a mix of historical and socio-political factors from pre-colonial and colonial times as the basis for the enduring Bawku conflict.
In a discussion on Good Morning Ghana on Metro TV on Wednesday, October 29, 2024, he expressed concern that many commentators lack a deep understanding of the issues at play.
Avoka explained that the conflict traces back to the arrival of the Mamprusi people in Bawku during the Trans-Saharan trade era.
Trade routes that facilitated the exchange of goods like gunpowder and kola nuts between Salaga, Nalerigu, and Bawku prompted the Nayiri, the chief of the Mamprusi, to establish a security presence in Bawku to safeguard traders against various threats, including attacks from the Kusasi inhabitants.
To counter these threats, the Nayiri opted to settle Mamprusi individuals in Bawku, which marked the beginning of a complicated relationship between the Kusasi and Mamprusi communities.
“The history is documented and it is that the Kusasis in Bawku used to waylay the traders coming from the north or south and seize their wares. The story is that because they used to come from Naveligu first, the Nayiri decided that he will put up a police post in Bawku to protect the traders when they were coming back from the north or south or going from the south to the north. So, he sent some few Mamprusis to Bawku to settle there and maintain the trade route.
“So, the story is that the Kusasis were there and harassing the traders. That is why the Nayiri decided to do that. So, they came there, and they only co-existed. They were not part of the traders . And this is what happens when the Kusasis come to a place: we have the Kusasi Community Chief, we have the Frafra Community Chief, and the rest of them, and none of them can aspire to become the Ga-Mantse,” he explained.
He continued that “No matter how strong they are, they can never become Ga-Mantse because they have come to settle here and do business. The Ashantis and the Akans are many in Accra, but none of them can become Ga-Mantse. That is the story of Bawku. And, when the Europeans came in 1900, they were going to rule the area through chiefs because they didn’t have administrative personnel. So, they settled first in Nalerigu-Gambaga with the Nayiri. That is where the White man settled first. From there, the Nayiri princes, interpreters, and facilitators escorted them south to Bawku. Naturally, when they got to Bawku, they weren’t excited with the persons who were there protecting the trade route.”
He noted that during the colonial era, British authorities implemented a system of indirect rule, relying on established chiefs for governance.
This approach created complications in Bawku, where the Kusasi operated under a decentralized clan system instead of a singular chiefdom.
Cletus Avoka further elaborated that the British eventually acknowledged the Mamprusi as the Bawku Naaba, effectively appointing a Mamprusi chief as the administrative leader of the region.
However, this arrangement led to heightened tensions, particularly following the death of the Mamprusi Bawku Naaba in 1956, which intensified Kusasi resistance.
“The White man wanted to see one chief control the whole area. We don’t have one chief controlling the whole area. There are Tidanas and clan heads and the rest of them and so the White man decided if the Mamprusis know chieftaincy, they will make the Mamprusi settlers in Bawku the Bawku Naaba. That is all, So, since then, the Kusasis have been struggling and struggling and they caught up with the independence struggle, etc.
“In 1956, the Mamprusi Bawku Naaba died and in 1957, the Mamprusis left Bawku to go to Nalerigu to go to the Nayiri for enskinment; they normally go to the Nayiri for enskinment to come back and rule the Kusasis in Bawku,” he stated.
He explained that in 1957, during the independence movement’s push for self-governance, the Kusasi appointed their own Tidana, or clan chief, rejecting the authority of the Mamprusi.
In response to this situation, the colonial government set up a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the claims surrounding the leadership dispute.
“So, he set up a Commission of Enquiry to ascertain the claims between the Kusasis and the Mamprusis as to who are the land owners and who is supposed to be the traditional rulers of Bawku. The committee was chaired by a lawyer from the Volta Region. The two other members were Nana Agyeman Badu I and the late Dormaa Hene.
“They went to Bawku, settled there, and investigated the case and presented the report to the colonial governor that in fact the Mamprusis came there as settlers and the Kusasis are doing everything and what not and what not, and that is why it is only a Mamprusi family and the Kusasi is a whole tribe and the rest of them, and therefore it is administratively, politically, and developmentally wrong for the Nayiri, who has a family in Bawku, to impose a Mamprusi chief on the Kusasis, which is untraditional and uncultural,” he said.
He added that “The colonial government accepted and approved and issued a white paper recognising a Kusasi man as Bawku Naaba and the head chief of the Kusasi area.”
He stressed that understanding this historical context is vital for addressing the ongoing conflict and upholding the rule of law, as it obstructs meaningful dialogue and sustainable solutions.
“I am very saddened that many of the commentators on this issue do not actually know the facts or the background, and they proffer to give expert advice; others know, and they don’t want to say the truth. Some people don’t want to accept the truth. Some people don’t want to accept that we have the rule of law or due process,” he added.
The recent resurgence of conflict in Bawku was triggered by the return of a rival chief, following the revocation of his arrest warrant by an appellate court.
As reported by Stephen Asamoah Boateng, the Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, the violence has claimed the lives of 16 individuals as of Tuesday, October 29, 2024.
For many years, this commercial hub in the Upper East Region has experienced ethnic tensions rooted in longstanding chieftaincy disputes.
