Resolving Chieftaincy Conflicts through Intercultural Dialogue: The Case of Bawku Interethnic Peace Committee in Northern Ghana

Abstract

The local turn in peace-building has emphasised the importance of the involvement of local people in the
restoration of peace after violent conflicts. This encourages conflict parties to embrace interculturadialogue to address differences typically mobilised to escalate latent grievances into large-scale violence. This article contributes to this discussion by mainly
exploring the contribution of the Bawku Interethnic Peace Committee to peaceful co-existence in Bawku, a community in north-eastern Ghana with a traumatized history of chieftaincy conflict. It is based on empirical research conducted among key parties to
the conflict and members of the committee between 2020 and 2021. The paper draws on the intercultural
dialogue concept to analyse and demonstrate how the committee incorporated ethnic inclusion and crosscultural interactions, enabling it to ensure the warring parties directly engage and address latent grievances and prevent violent escalations. The findings show the Bawku Interethnic Peace Committee has strong potential to help preserve peace in Bawku. However, it can only undertake such an exercise satisfactorily provided the state shows strong desire for sustainable peace in Bawku. The paper concludes with an outline for policy and research response, demonstrating how the state can drive the Bawku conflict parties towards an exit from violence.