President John Dramani Mahama has made a passionate appeal for lasting peace in Bawku, urging the warring factions to set aside their differences and work towards unity.
Speaking at Ghana’s 68th Independence Day celebration held at the Jubilee House, Mahama emphasized that his call for peace was not made as a politician but as a brother and son entrusted with a solemn duty.
“I do not speak as a president but as a brother and son in whose hands you have entrusted a solemn duty,” he declared.
Bawku, a town that has witnessed prolonged ethnic conflict, has been a focal point of national concern, with repeated clashes disrupting social and economic activities. Mahama stressed the need for reconciliation, reminding all parties involved that the future of their children depends on the choices made today.
“Our children deserve to inherit a peaceful land where their dreams are nurtured, not where their nightmares are relived,” he said.
He further painted a vision of a prosperous and harmonious community, where businesses flourish and schools serve as centers of knowledge rather than despair.
“They deserve to inherit a land where markets are bustling with trade, not tension and conflicts. They deserve to inherit schools that echo with learning and not melancholy,” he added.
Mahama urged residents of Bawku to resist division, mistrust, and the burdens of past grievances, calling for a renewed commitment to friendship and coexistence.
“Let us not be swayed by division, mistrust, and the weight of past interests. Let us give renewal of friendship a chance. Let us give peace a chance,” he implored.
Clarifying that his message was not a plea to forget the past but rather to rise above it, the former president encouraged all stakeholders to embrace peace as the only path to progress.
“This is not an invitation to simply forget the past—far from it. It is an invitation to live above it,” he concluded.
Mahama’s appeal adds to ongoing efforts by government, traditional leaders, and civil society groups to resolve the Bawku conflict, which has claimed numerous lives and displaced many. His words serve as a rallying call for unity, reminding Ghanaians that the nation’s progress is tied to the peace and stability of all its regions.
