Security analyst Colonel Festus Aboagye (Rtd) has urged the executive arm of the government to enforce the law to resolve the Bawku conflict.
He stated that the Supreme Court and the Upper East House of Chiefs have already clarified their stance on the dispute.
The resolution now lies in the hands of the executive to enforce the law.
The call for action follows a brutal attack in Binduri, Upper East region, where five people were killed by unknown assailants.
The armed individuals reportedly stormed a market in Binduri and began firing indiscriminately.
In an interview on Eyewitness News on Monday, Mr. Aboagye criticized the government for its inaction, allowing a rival chief to be installed.
He suggested that the situation in Bawku could have been resolved earlier to prevent its current state of escalation.
When asked if the situation was hopeless, Mr. Aboagye responded, “It sounds so and appears to be because beyond the court system, the court ruled that it does not want to entertain this Bawku Naba issue again because, in its view, having set aside the divisional court ruling, saying that Asoka II is the rightful occupant of the skin. And then having reference to the Upper East House of Chiefs, who had also looked into the case and pronounced that the Kusasis are the rightful occupants of the skin. It was left to the Executive to ensure that the decision of the Supreme Court and the traditional House of Chiefs was executed, but this didn’t happen.”
He further added, “Last year, the government pretended that it had no intelligence whatsoever and allowed the Nayiri to install a rival chief of Bawku. This is where we are. It is a classic case of ‘a stitch in time saves nine.’ So, it is up to the executive to enforce the law and ensure that the law is obeyed.”
Background
The Bawku conflict is a chieftaincy dispute in Bawku, North East Ghana, between the people of Mamprugu and Kusasi. The conflict escalated when the Mamprugu people installed a new chief, despite the existence of another chief from the Kusasi tribe. This has led to fear and panic in the region, with some residents fleeing the conflict zones.
Recently, there have been several violent incidents related to this conflict. Six people were reported dead in a fresh attack in Bawku after gunmen opened fire on a bus traveling to a market in nearby Binduri. There were accusations against the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) for allegedly killing three civilians, which GAF has refuted. There have been sporadic gunshots and fatal consequences due to the escalation of violence.
Analysts and observers have called for a lasting solution to the conflict, and some have suggested that politics should be taken out of the conflict resolution process. The situation is being closely monitored by the government and security forces.
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