Renewed Clashes in Bawku Municipality

UNCLAS ACCRA 000610

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR AF/W; AF/FO

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL GH
SUBJECT: Renewed Clashes in Bawku Municipality

1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Fighting erupted in Bawku May 4, in Ghana's Upper
East Region, in a long-running ethnic dispute between the Kusasis
and Mamprusis, resulting in five deaths and injuries to countless

others. There appears to be an uneasy calm after the intervention
of security forces and the area is now under a 22 hour curfew. The
violence arose with the shooting of a prominent Kusasi and
well-known NDC activist, and it appears that the government's
unwillingness to deal decisively with the long-standing
Kusassi-Mamprusi rivalry will cause the conflict to fester,
particularly as the election campaign intensifies. This conflict,
like that in Dagbon, Wa and other traditional areas, could have
negative implications for the December polls if it is not resolved
definitively. END SUMMARY.

2. (SBU) According to a well-placed opposition political leader from
the area who provided us with an account of the situation on May 7,
violence began at about 7:00 PM May 4 when a group, believed to be
Mamprusis, attacked worshippers at a mosque, shooting a Kusasi
opinion leader (and known National Democratic Congress (NDC)
activist). This was the second of such killings since March 2008.

3. (U) The initial intervention by security personnel was inadequate
to quell the violence, and fighting continued until security was
augmented. However, the improved situation did not last, as violence
resumed after security personnel moved to other areas. The police
presence was subsequently reinforced with army personnel from
Tamale.


4. (U) When Kusasi residents learned of the death of the prominent
Kusasi, they quickly armed and attacked local Mamprusi residents,
resulting in an unaccounted number of injuries.

5. (U) The government reacted by imposing a 22-hour curfew (from
9:00 AM to 7:00 AM) to enable combined police/military personnel to
restore some calm. The curfew affects Bawku Municipality, Zabzugu,
Binduri, Pusiga, Zoosi and their environs and the ban prohibits all
persons in these areas from carrying arms, ammunitions and any other
offensive weapon.

6. (U) The death toll in this conflict is five. More than 12 houses
have been burnt in Bawku since Sunday night. Security personnel
state that they have confiscated five guns and ammunitions. Forty
people, out of an initial seventy-two arrested, remain in police
custody for further screening to determine the role they have played
in the violence.

7. (U) Police say residents of Bawku, which has experienced sporadic
ethnic violence for years, are demanding escorts to leave the town.
Media reports have suggested that some residents have escaped the
fighting into neighboring Togo and Burkina Faso.

8. (U) Interior Minister, Kwamina Bartels told the media May 6 that
"the situation is pretty calm except for occasional gunshots heard
in the municipality." Mr. Bartels said security forces should be
able to maintain the calm, and recommended the acceleration of
dialogue initiated by President Kufuor last month.

9. (SBU) Mamprusis are predominantly pro-New Patriotic Party (NPP)
and have expected the government to resolve the chieftaincy dispute
in their favor. This expectation, backed by a group of Mamprusi
politicians, was staunchly exploited by politicians in the weeks
preceding the 2000 presidential run-off. In the violence that
erupted during the 2000 elections and soon thereafter, 26 lives were
lost. Similar expectations have since December 2002 degenerated into
periodic violence resulting in fatalities. Kusasis, who are
predominantly and largely pro-NDC, remain suspicious of government
and its role as an honest broker. So far, government efforts to
resolve this with civil society groups have been half-hearted. In
addition, a porous border (and leakages from the security services'
armories) has led to a stockpiling of weapons by both ethnic
groups.

10. (SBU) COMMENT: Given the long-standing nature of the Bawku
conflict, and the political undercurrents, it is possible that
violence will escalate in Bawku and its environs in the period
preceding the December elections. This reflects in part the
government's inability - and perhaps unwillingness - to decisively
address the issues underlying the conflict. While this
long-standing conflict is likely to remain contained to the remote
Upper East region, it bears careful watching as Ghana moves toward
the December vote. END COMMENT.
BRIDGEWATER