Renowned security and international relations expert Dr. Vladimir Antwi-Danso has identified political interference as a major factor driving the ongoing Bawku conflict. He cautioned that military deployments alone will not resolve the crisis unless these political issues are directly addressed. In an interview with Channel One Newsroom on Sunday, July 27, 2025, Dr. Antwi-Danso stated that the government’s reliance on military and police forces is merely a temporary solution that fails to tackle the underlying causes of the violence.
“Military and police presence in large numbers will not solve the problem,” he explained. “There are several factors fueling the conflict. It could be related to historical grievances that have not been properly addressed, along with the media’s role in the situation. Additionally, issues of intra-community miscommunication may play a part, as well as political influences.”
Dr. Antwi-Danso emphasised the significant role of politics in the Bawku crisis: “In this case, politics is one of the primary factors supporting the conflict,” he stated. He warned that unless these underlying issues, or “beams,” are dismantled, security interventions will likely result in nothing more than temporary calm.
“So until you remove these props one by one for the conflict triangle to fall, you have done nothing. So using the military often is only a stopgap,” he stressed. His comments come at a time of renewed violence in Bawku, where the government has imposed a strict curfew and ordered the evacuation of students from conflict-prone areas following deadly attacks believed to be linked to the long-running chieftaincy dispute.
Calls are growing for the government to take a more comprehensive approach—one that recognises the political manipulation and historical distortions that continue to fuel tensions. Dr. Antwi-Danso’s remarks have reinforced demands for sustained dialogue, transparency, and depoliticisation of the conflict to break the cycle of violence.
By: Jonathan Adjei
