The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has wrapped up his months-long mediation in the longstanding Bawku chieftaincy dispute, urging both factions to guide their supporters toward a lasting end to hostilities as they are “one people.”
Speaking on Monday, December 1, 2025, at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi, the King chaired a rare face-to-face engagement between delegations from the Mamprusi and Kusasi groups.
A statement issued by his Chief of Staff, Kofi Badu, said the Asantehene commended the two sides for their decorum and acknowledged that coexistence is unavoidable. “He urged the leaders to start preparing the minds of their supporters to be prepared to put an end permanently to violence and disorder in their communities,” the statement read.
The talks, held in the Jubilee Hall, brought together a 30-member team led by Chief Tarana John Wuni Grunah on behalf of the Naayiri of Mamprugu, and a Kusasi delegation led by Naba Tambis Baalug of Pusiga, with former MP Cletus Avoka and Dr. Issah serving as spokespersons.
This final engagement followed earlier separate meetings in which the Asantehene heard submissions from each side in pursuit of a durable settlement to a conflict that has claimed lives and displaced residents across the Bawku Traditional Area.
According to the palace, the session was cordial, with both groups acknowledging their shared history and the futility of continued violence.
The Asantehene will now prepare a formal report for the President. “His Majesty announced that he would submit his report with his proposals to His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama in the next few days,” the release stated, adding that the King expects the President will “act expeditiously” to convene all parties for the announcement of the mediation’s outcome.
