Peace mediation report: Asigri Abugrago Azoka II is the lawful chief of Bawku — Asantehene

The Otumfuo's peace media report has reaffirmed Zugraana Asigri Abugrago Azoka II as the legitimate Chief of Bawku, bringing an end to the decades-old violent conflict between Kusasis and Mamprusis in the traditional area.

The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has called on all parties involved in the Bawku conflict to fully accept and be bound by the outcomes of the mediation process aimed at restoring lasting peace to the area.

Presenting the mediation report to President John Dramani Mahama at the Jubilee House on Tuesday, December 16, Otumfuo stressed that the exercise was purely a mediation effort and not an arbitration process intended to declare winners or losers.

He explained that his role was to place the facts before the nation in the interest of peace, not to pass judgment on the claims of any side. According to him, the success of the peace process depends on the collective commitment of all stakeholders to respect and uphold the report’s findings.

“I am here to present the facts for the sake of peace. I am not here to determine who is right or wrong. The report must bind all of us. I have made this clear to the various parties. This was mediation, not arbitration,” he said.

Otumfuo expressed gratitude to President Mahama for entrusting him with the responsibility of facilitating dialogue in one of Ghana’s most protracted conflicts.

President Mahama appointed the Asantehene earlier in 2025 to lead efforts to resolve the decades long chieftaincy dispute in Bawku. The mediation process began in April 2025, with Otumfuo engaging the rival factions separately to build confidence and lay the groundwork for dialogue.

Although the talks were temporarily halted, they resumed in May 2025 and have since helped to sustain a period of relative calm in the municipality, offering renewed hope for a durable peace solution.