Conflict Resolution, Peace Building and Development Professional, Emmanuel Bombande, says the state needs to affirm its authority in the Bawku area to prevent an escalation of the conflict.

According to him, the state’s assertion of authority must be done in such a manner that it takes into account the emotions of the stakeholders in the conflict due to the sensitive nature of the issues at stake.

He said should the state fail to do so, the country would be faced with a situation similar to the Yendi conflict which took 20 years to resolve.

Speaking on PM Express, he said, “We’re literally at the brink of the same scenario in Yendi of 2002, in which people like yourself in the media, those of us active in peace building practice were talking about the early warning and the capacity of the state to assert itself firmly in the protection of civilians, enforcement of the law, and providing the space for anybody who has any grievances related to chieftaincy to use the pathway that is legally the way to go about it.

“And the pathway to any chieftaincy situation or dispute in Ghana is the regional house of chiefs, the national house of chiefs and the Supreme Court. Because of the ambivalence in asserting its presence we all saw what happened in March 2002 in Yendi. It took us 20 years to start to repair that damage.”

Mr. Bombande stated that relying on the state’s military might to resolve the issue would be counterproductive.

He noted that for such sensitive issues, the right path was one that involved peaceful dialogue.

“What we need to take into account is, how does the authority of the state affirm itself on the ground in a way that enforces the law but takes into account the emotional impact in which people want to go to precolonial days to legitimize what they’re doing? 

“And so it is not just a military operation, but it is a military operation that has to take into account a narrative that has a very sensitive and emotional impact. And this is where then it becomes tricky. If you don’t have the presence of the state, then you create what is happening in the Sahelian countries in what we call the ungoverned spaces, because those spaces are ungoverned, and the state has not been able to enforce the rule of law, it was run over by terrorist groups.

“So the state must be present and enforce itself. And that’s why we argued that we now need a different channel that promotes dialogue and that is the genesis of the creation of the National Peace Council so that the role of state security must always be present.

“Then you can have other channels including our traditional institutions to constantly be promoting dialogue and the two fit together so that everybody’s narrative can have a channel of a peaceful resolution of violence and conflict rather than unilateral activities, behavior and actions that then threaten the security of the state,” he said.

Armed soldiers deployed to Nalerigu to arrest the Nayiri clashed with the town’s youth on the night of February 19.

The attempt by the soldiers followed a warrant issued by a High Court in Bolgatanga for the arrest of the two traditional leaders for their involvement in the enskinment of a chief.

According to JoyNews correspondent, Eliasu Tanko, the military forces upon their arrival on Sunday night, however, could not carry out the arrest as they were met by the angry youth of the town.

However, following the incident the youth set up road blocks to prevent further incursions by the military.

Meanwhile, the Mamprugu Traditional Council has demanded an unqualified apology from the government for “disrespecting their Kingdom.”