I’m not here to say who was right or wrong – Asantehene on Bawku peace process

The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has clarified that his role in efforts to resolve the protracted Bawku conflict was strictly mediation and not arbitration, stressing that he was not tasked to determine who was right or wrong.

Presenting the Bawku Conflict Mediation Report to President John Mahama at the Jubilee House on Tuesday, December 16, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II said his mandate was to establish facts and lay the groundwork for peace, not to pass judgment.

“I’m here not to give a judgment as to who was wrong and who was right. I’m here to present the facts as they are for us to have peace,” the Asantehene stated.

He recalled that it had been almost two and a half years since he was invited by the former administration to mediate in the Bawku conflict, which he described as a crisis that had claimed many innocent lives and grown into a major national security concern.

The Asantehene noted that following the change in government, President Mahama swiftly reaffirmed the mediation mandate, allowing the process to continue uninterrupted.

“Almost a year ago, the people of Ghana handed the mandate of the governance of Ghana to your Excellency, and you wasted no time in reaffirming the mandate of the Bawku mediation. By the grace of God, we are able to assemble here for us to present to your excellency the report of the mission you entrusted to us,” he said.

According to the Asantehene, the report was submitted for the President’s consideration, leaving subsequent actions entirely to the government.

“We present the report for your kind consideration, whatever action you and your government consider appropriate,” he added.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II also expressed gratitude to both President Mahama and his predecessor for the confidence reposed in him to handle such a sensitive national issue, describing peace and security as the most critical concerns of the state.

Reiterating the nature of the process, he stated, “Like I said, it was a mediation. It wasn’t an arbitration, and I’m not here to say that this one was wrong or this one was right. I’ll present the facts as they are, and that of what it should be, binding on all of us.”

The report marks the culmination of months of mediation led by the Asantehene and forms part of broader national reconciliation efforts to address the long-standing conflict in Bawku.

The report is expected to guide the next phase of government action toward achieving sustainable peace in Bawku.