Following the reignition of conflict in the northeastern part of Ghana, the Minister of the Upper East Region of the country urges local Catholic leaders to use their influence to achieve peace.
By Kielce Gussie
A long-standing conflict reignited in the northeast part of Ghana following the killing of three young men by gunmen in Bawku, in Upper East Ghana. Authorities responded by implementing a curfew and placing security officers in the area.
These deaths triggered the decades-old dispute over the role of the Mamprusi and Kusasi tribal leaders in the region. Historically, the Mamprusi asserted traditional authority over the Bawku area, while the Kusasi advocated for their rights as the majority population.
As a result of the ongoing violence, the Catholic Church in the area has been working to provide aid to people who have been displaced and to advocate for peace in the region. According to the Vatican’s Fides news agency, the Minister of the Upper East Region of Ghana praised this work.
The Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana, Archbishop Julien Kabore, made a visit to this northeastern part of Ghana ravaged by conflict. This area is also home to hundreds of displaced people from Burkina Faso who have fled violence from Islamist groups—which, as Fides reports, now threatens to spread to this region of Ghana.
Urging the local church to use its influence to push for unity, the Minister stressed that “both parties involved in the conflict are more inclined to listen to the voice of religious leaders than that of politicians.”
This conflict dates back to pre-colonial times and worsened after Ghana gained independence in 1957 as one government after another capitalized on the influence of the chiefs to advance politically.
Archbishop Kabore expressed his gratitude to the Ghanaian government and the people of the Upper East Region for their “continued hospitality and assistance to those fleeing the unstable situation in Burkina Faso.” In the midst of the ongoing violence, he commended the country’s unwavering support for welcoming and sheltering refugees in distress.
