Renowned security and international relations analyst Dr. Vladimir Antwi-Danso has identified deep-rooted political interference as a key driver of the persistent Bawku conflict, warning that military deployments alone will not resolve the entrenched crisis.
Speaking on Channel One Newsroom on Sunday, July 27, 2025, Dr. Antwi-Danso criticised the government’s heavy reliance on security forces to quell violence in the area, describing it as a short-term measure that fails to address the root causes of the conflict.
“Military presence and police presence in their numbers will not solve the problem,” he asserted. “There are several pillars propping up the conflict… and one of the greatest beams supporting the Bawku conflict is politics.”
Dr. Antwi-Danso argued that behind the ethnic and chieftaincy tensions that have gripped Bawku for decades lies a web of political manipulation that continues to fuel division and instability.
“It could be history that has not been properly related, and we’re adding on and twisting history. It may be the media—the way we handle it. It may be the people themselves or intra-community miscommunication. It could be politics,” he explained.
In particular, he blamed successive governments and local power brokers for politicising the dispute to gain electoral advantage, thereby entrenching divisions and frustrating peace efforts.
“Until you remove these props one by one for the conflict triangle to fall, you have done nothing. So using the military often is only a stopgap,” he cautioned.
Dr. Antwi-Danso’s comments come amid a fresh wave of violence in the Upper East town, where deadly attacks in recent weeks have reignited fear and tension. In response, the government has reinforced curfews and evacuated students from affected schools, including the Nalerigu Senior High School, where two students were recently killed in a suspected targeted attack.
Despite these security measures, sporadic gunfire and retaliatory attacks continue, highlighting the fragility of peace in the area and the limits of a purely security-driven response.
The latest flare-up has intensified calls for a comprehensive and depoliticised approach to the Bawku conflict. Civil society groups, local leaders, and peacebuilding advocates are urging the government to initiate genuine dialogue, tackle political interference, and promote truth-telling around the historical roots of the chieftaincy dispute.
Dr. Antwi-Danso’s intervention has reignited the debate over whether enough is being done to dismantle the institutional and political support systems that sustain the conflict.
“You can’t solve Bawku with guns alone,” one resident told Channel One. “We need truth, reconciliation, and leadership that does not exploit our pain for politics.”
As tensions persist, experts believe the way forward must include:
- Independent mediation involving traditional leaders, neutral stakeholders, and conflict resolution experts.
- Public education to counter misinformation and historical distortion.
- Political accountability to expose and punish actors who manipulate the conflict for personal or political gain.
- Investment in social cohesion and economic development in Bawku and surrounding communities.
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