Intractable Conflicts in Northern Ghana and the Search for Lasting Peace: The Case of Mamprusis and Kusasis In Bawku

Abstract

The Northern part of Ghana has witnessed several ethnic conflicts. Most of these conflicts are based on religious differences, land litigations and claims to chieftaincy. The Kusasi and Mamprusi ethnic groups in Bawku have engaged in conflict that has become intractable and permeated the whole life span of the people, thereby impeding growth and development in the area. Data collected from both primary and secondary sources revealed that the claims to chieftaincy title have been the fundamental root cause that explains why the ethnic groups are locked up in the conflict. Other factors relate to the proliferation of weapons, armed robbery and illiteracy including cessations of farmlands. Religious belief, the work of “spoilers” and the politicisation of the conflict are also attributed as factors that contribute to the frequent escalation and de-escalation of the conflict thus making it intractable. The study found that retrieval of weapons, the neutrality of Bawku Inter-Ethnic Peace Committee (BIEPC) chairpersons, the presence of security personnel living among the people, bye-laws that regulate land ownership, and eradication of poverty will go a long way to resolve the conflict. Also, actors should desist from enticing the combatants with money as a means of getting them to negotiations and mediations. Similarly, the formation of watchdog committees including the usage of legal dispute resolution mechanisms like the law court would also result in the resolution of the conflict. This would require stakeholders to be independent and neutral in working assiduously towards resolving the conflict.