No Need For Kufuor To Go To Bawku - Security Expert

A security analyst at the Legon Centre for International Relations, Dr Linda Adarkwa has dismissed calls for President Kufuor to personally intervene in the Bawku crisis. She said the calls were unnecessary and unfair. Dr Adarkwa emphasized that the president had been adequately represented by the Interior Minister, Mr. Kwamena Bartels whose intervention had brought relative peace to the area. The Mamprusis and Kusasis have engaged in violent chieftaincy clashes since New Year’s Eve, 2007. The violence has claimed many lives and led to wanton destruction of property. The resultant insecurity in the Bawku Municipality and its surrounding areas has led to a dusk to dawn curfew being imposed on the area which remains volatile. The Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mr. Mahama Ayariga on Tuesday, February 26, 2008 called on the President to intervene directly to resolve the crisis. He said the warring factions wanted President Kufuor to lead the peace talks currently going on. His call was supported by the MP for Tamale North, Alhaji Abubakar Sumani who argued the military presence in the area was not enough to bring about enduring peace. But Dr Adarkwa, speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, stressed the need to rather focus on identifying the reasons why the interventions made so far seemed to be failing. “Is it that the root cause of the matter is not dealt with?” Are the negotiators one sided?” she asked. According to her it was only when all the institutions and steps in dealing with crises had failed that the President could be called upon to personally intervene. She said it was unfair to expect President Kufuor to visit Bawku when he had not visited other parts of the country that had also experienced some violence.