Former Chairperson of the National Peace Council, Most Reverend Professor Emmanuel Asante, has urged politicians to adopt a bipartisan approach in efforts to restore peace in Bawku, cautioning them against exploiting the conflict for political gain.
Speaking to Citi News after an engagement with Bawku indigenes residing in the Ashanti Region, Prof. Asante emphasized that political interference continues to hinder peace efforts in the conflict-prone area.
He described politicians as the “big problem” and appealed for unity and sincerity in addressing the crisis.
“The political elements are a big problem, and I am hoping that our politicians would stay away from exploiting such situations to enhance their own party ego, if I may put it that way. Let the politicians understand that the war at any part of this country is detrimental to the well-being and development of our nation, and therefore let’s not exploit such situations secretly just because we want to be in power or we want to gain power,” he said.
Prof. Asante underscored the importance of national unity, stressing that politicians must put Ghana’s peace and development above partisan interests.
“We are one people, and we shouldn’t destroy ourselves. Let’s go bipartisan when it comes to searching for peace for war-torn areas like Bawku and other places. In America, there are a lot of political parties and they don’t agree on several issues, but there are times when they will say bipartisan because this is in the interest of the entire country. So please, our politicians, let’s unite together and do the best that we can to ensure that there is peace in Bawku,” he added.
Meanwhile, the National Peace Council is intensifying its engagements with Bawku indigenes living in the Ashanti Region to promote peaceful coexistence between the Kusasi and Mamprusi factions. The initiative aims to prevent a spillover of the long-standing conflict to other parts of the country.
Recently, the Ashanti Regional Security Council and the Peace Council convened a meeting between leaders of the two factions, leading to the signing of a peace pact in the aftermath of killings in Asawase linked to the Bawku conflict.
The Peace Council has also held separate sessions with women’s groups from both factions to raise awareness about peaceful coexistence. During the engagement, the women expressed concern over the role of social media in fueling the conflict and called on the government to intervene. They also pledged to support all efforts aimed at achieving lasting peace in Bawku.
