Bawku to 'bury okro stick' April 13 for lasting peace

The communities resolved at the 2019 Danjuar Festival[/caption] The Bawku Inter-Ethnic Peace Committee has set April 13, 2019, for the feuding factions in Bawku to smoke peace pipe. The peace brokering process, which will include burying the okro stick, was proposed by the 22-member committee constituted in 2009. The committee comprised all ethnic groups in the Bawku Traditional Area. They have the responsibility of finding lasting peace to the ethnic conflict between the Kusasis and Mamprusis which has since claimed many human lives and displaced several others. Speaking to 3news.com  at the 2019 Danjuar Festival in Kpikpira in the Upper East Region,  the Acting Secretary to the Bawku Naba, Patrick Adakudugu, revealed both factions have subscribed to the peace process. “We have gotten all stakeholders consented to the peace of Bawku,” he said. “We will meet at the proposed Bawku community center for the final blood collection.” “The burial of the okro stick signifies an end to conflict in our traditional area,” Naba Patrick Adakudugu added. “When this is done, nobody has the moral right to unearth the conflict and when you do that, it is the belief that you will incur the wrath of the gods and the gods will punish you.” The Christians and Muslims clerics will be given specific roles on the day. “They will read relevant portions of the Bible and Quran to emphasize that the conflict is over and that we shall live in peace, inter-marry, attend each other’s festivals and funerals. “With the Bawku ethnic conflict, blood was lost, so we will have a blood cleansing exercise that is where every life lost in some 25 communities was cleansed. The chief of Kpikpira, Naba Danzuur, called on government to ensure a verdict is passed on the Bunkpurgu chieftaincy issue. This, he indicated, will help restore peace in the area among the feuding brothers. The Upper East Region Minister, Paulina Abayage, reiterated government’s commitment to working with key stakeholders to amicably resolve disputes and conflicts. She assured residents that all outstanding chieftaincy disputes in the Region will be resolved in due course. Kpikpira is a farming community located in the eastern part of the Tempani District of the Upper East Region. The people celebrate the Danjuur Festival annually to remember the sacrifices of their ancestors, thank the gods for a successful farming season and to seek divine interventions for better yield ahead. By Christopher Amoako|3news.com|Ghana  ]]>