By Celestine Avi and Seth Eyiah
President John Dramani Mahama has announced a GH¢1 billion Restoration Fund to support post-conflict reconstruction and development across six districts in the Bawku area of the Upper East Region.
The President said the fund will be managed by a high-level committee chaired by the Finance Minister, with the Majority Leader in Parliament as a member, and will be disbursed over the next three years to drive effective infrastructure and community development as peace returns to the area.
President Mahama made the announcement when the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs paid a courtesy call on him at the Presidency in Accra on Tuesday.
The visit underscored the importance of sustained peacebuilding in the Bawku area, which has endured years of violent conflict. During the engagement, the chiefs thanked President Mahama for his government’s support for mediation efforts led by His Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene, which have helped restore stability and promote reconciliation in the region.
They commended the government’s commitment to working with traditional authorities to foster unity and development among communities previously divided by conflict.
President Mahama noted that about 119 people lost their lives during the prolonged Bawku conflict, stressing that the heavy toll underscores the need to protect the fragile peace currently prevailing in the area. He emphasized that Bawku has suffered enough violence and must now be given the opportunity to heal and develop.
The chiefs expressed optimism that the renewed peace will open the door to sustainable development, stronger social cohesion, and deeper collaboration between traditional authorities and the government. They reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining harmony and supporting initiatives that consolidate peace in the region.
Background
The mediation process in the Bawku conflict spans successive governments, reflecting a bipartisan commitment to restoring peace in the area. Under the administration of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, was invited to lead a traditional mediation process aimed at resolving the long-standing chieftaincy and ethnic tensions.
President John Dramani Mahama has since taken over and sustained the process, reaffirming government support for the Otumfuo-led mediation, which has been widely credited with helping to de-escalate tensions and lay the foundation for lasting peace in Bawku.
