Why dialogue, unity, and accountability matter more than partisanship in securing Kusaug’s future
For decades, the people of Bawku and the wider Kusaug traditional area have lived at the crossroads of chieftaincy disputes, recurring insecurity, and shifting currents of national politics. Entire neighbourhoods have been displaced during outbreaks of violence; farmers have seen crops destroyed, and traders have watched once-thriving markets fall silent. Schools have repeatedly closed their doors as families sought safety, leaving children to grow up with gaps in education and a lingering sense of instability. The struggle to maintain daily life has often been as complicated as the conflict itself.
The period covering 2024 and the early months of 2025 brought an excruciating wave of unrest. Renewed tensions surrounding the return of a rival leader, armed clashes in and around Bawku, and substantial security deployments left civilians caught in the middle. Residents speak of nights spent in fear, of relatives lost or injured, of shops looted, and harvests abandoned. For many households, the violence undid years of patient rebuilding, draining savings and eroding confidence that peace would endure. The emotional toll has been equally severe: grief, anxiety, and distrust have left deep scars across generations.
As Ghana prepares for another election cycle, these experiences heavily influence Kusaug citizens living in the traditional area, but also everywhere in the world. They are questioning how a region scarred by conflict can position itself in relation to those seeking national leadership, with the former vice president, Dr Bawumia, at the centre of it all. For communities that have endured so much loss, the question is not only who governs from Accra but also how future leaders — of any background or party — will protect lives, support reconciliation, and invest in stability so that markets, classrooms, and homes can once again be places of safety and hope.
Lessons from Past Alignments
One lesson from Ghana’s democratic history is that exclusive loyalty to a single political tradition can, over time, reduce a community’s influence. While standing firmly with one party may foster a sense of solidarity and shared purpose, it also has a hidden cost: it restricts the ways in which local voices can reach national decision-makers. When power shifts, areas perceived as aligned only with the opposition may find themselves marginalised, struggling to have their priorities heard.
Kusaug’s long association with the NDC party has reflected understandable grievances and hopes, but it has also revealed the risks of relying solely on a single channel. During times when the NPP administration has been in power, access to senior officials could be more limited, funding for projects sometimes slowed, and appeals for security or economic recovery were not always prioritised as the Kusaug people expected. The result has been a cycle where residents bear a double burden: first from the disruptions caused by conflict, and secondly from the challenge of securing consistent support from successive governments.
Across the country, regions that foster respectful relationships with all sides tend to gain greater scope to advocate for their needs. By presenting themselves as partners in national progress rather than as fixed allies or opponents, they make it clear that peace, safety, roads, schools, and livelihoods are not partisan favours but fundamental rights. For Kusaug, diversifying relationships does not mean abandoning principles; it means broadening the channels through which peacebuilding and development can be pursued, regardless of which party forms the next government.
Arguments for Engagement
The current discussion in Kusaug is not just about personalities or party labels; it is mainly about the strategic value of engagement. Communities that have faced years of instability confront a tricky question: how to protect their interests and rebuild trust in national institutions. Many citizens contend that maintaining consistent dialogue with whoever holds or seeks the presidency is the most reliable way to secure safety, livelihoods, and development. When people stay involved in discussions that influence security operations, compensation packages, or economic plans, they help ensure that policies reflect the realities of life on the ground rather than assumptions made from afar.
Staying engaged also protects communities from the distortions that occur when their voices are absent. Where there is silence, others often rush to fill the gap — sometimes individuals or groups with little understanding of local dynamics or, worse, with incentives to deepen division. If decision-makers only hear second-hand accounts, they may be led to see an entire population as resistant or uncooperative. Direct communication, by contrast, allows leaders to understand the complexity of grievances and aspirations, promoting balanced reforms rather than one-sided measures.
For Kusaug, sustained engagement should be regarded as an investment in a stable future, not as a concession or a compromise of principles. It enables the kusaug people to influence the conditions under which peace agreements are upheld, schools reopen, and markets flourish. Constructive participation empowers the kusaug people to demand fairness while remaining involved in national discussions that determine funding, security priorities, and reconciliation efforts. Over time, this approach can turn a legacy of mistrust into a framework where the kusaug region is seen as a crucial partner in Ghana’s progress.
Arguments for Caution
Simultaneously, caution is justified. The people of Kusaug bear scars from years of insecurity, displacement, and the constant fear that violence could erupt again at any moment. Incidents in 2024, under the NPP administration, made tensions resurface and lives and livelihoods were lost, reopening wounds that many had believed were healing. Shops were closed, farms left abandoned, and children were again removed from classrooms. These experiences cast a shadow over the Kusaug region, serving as a stark reminder of how fragile peace can be.
In this context, scepticism towards the NPP party or Dr Bawumia as the then Vice President of the Republic, is not stubbornness; it is a sensible response born of hardship. The Kusaug people, who have endured repeated trauma, have learned, often painfully, that words of reconciliation sound empty if they are not backed by protection, fairness, and consistent attention to grievances. Promises of development or investment, no matter how appealing, cannot by themselves eliminate fears about security breaches, disputed authority, or unequal treatment. People need to see that lessons have been learned and that their dignity is acknowledged before they can fully trust any new initiative.
For these reasons, any future engagement with Kusaug must start with empathy and tangible reassurance. Dialogue should be paired with visible actions to ensure safety, fair enforcement of the law, and meaningful consultation on policies affecting land, trade, and education. The Kusaug people should never be forced to choose between peace and accountability; they deserve both. Only when justice and protection are integrated into outreach efforts will the Kusaug people be able to move beyond past pain and fully participate in efforts to establish lasting stability.
Towards an Informed Approach
What, then, is a practical course for political leaders? The first step is to acknowledge pain openly and honestly. Lasting stability requires that political leaders, security agencies, and local authorities recognise the very real losses suffered by traders, farmers, students, and families over many years of unrest. Markets have been burned, fields left untended, and classrooms emptied; parents and children alike carry memories of nights spent in fear. When leaders speak frankly about these hardships and affirm that the suffering of Kusaug citizens matters to the entire nation, they begin to rebuild trust that has too often been eroded by silence or indifference. Dr Bawumia bears the highest burden in this endeavour. Not because anyone can confirm his complicity in the conflict, but as vice-president, he has the same responsibility as the president of the republic to prevent the incidents of 2024.
But recognition alone cannot complete the work of reconciliation. The Kusaug people, too, have an important role: to remain involved in discussions and claim their place in shaping policies that influence peace, safety, education, and economic opportunity. Opening channels with the government and other presidential aspirants, including Dr Bawumia, is not about relinquishing principles; it is about ensuring that the voices of those living with the consequences of unrest in Kusaug are part of decisions affecting their future. When the Kusaug people meet leaders with clear, well-prepared proposals — from trauma-healing initiatives to youth employment schemes and infrastructure plans — dialogue becomes a tool for influence and reform rather than a transaction of favours.
The road to lasting peace in the kusaug area, therefore, relies on mutual commitment. Leaders must show sympathy, reassurance, and take practical steps toward fairness; the Kusaug people, for their part, must remain engaged, offering constructive criticism and a willingness to collaborate on solutions. Only when empathy and participation go hand in hand can the cycle of mistrust be broken and replaced with a shared resolve to ensure peace, safety, prosperity, and dignity for every household in Bawku and beyond.
Diversifying Relationships
Third, the Kusaug people must broaden their relationships. Instead of tying Kusaug’s future to a single political party (the NDC), Kusaug can establish principled connections with all serious contenders and, later, with whichever administration assumes power in 2029. This approach shields development efforts from electoral swings and demonstrates that stability in the Kusaug area is a national priority, not a partisan bargaining chip. It also safeguards localised communities from being exploited as pawns in factional disputes.
Diversifying relationships involves engaging in dialogue not only with politicians but also with state institutions, civil society organisations, religious groups, and the private sector. Communication with security agencies, education services, economic planners, and peacebuilding organisations ensures that recovery plans are rooted in national policy and budgets rather than relying on promises made during campaigns. Broader connections make it more difficult for projects such as youth training centres, market rehabilitation, or community policing initiatives to be derailed when governments change.
By expanding its partnerships, Kusaug maintains control over its narrative. The Kusaug community indicates that its dedication is to stability and prosperity, not to lasting factionalism. Over time, this inclusive approach encourages every administration — regardless of its stance — to see the well-being of Kusaug’s people as a shared national duty rather than a matter to be negotiated through partisan views.
Role of Media and Civil Society
The media, civil society, and traditional authorities all play a vital role in fostering a climate of cooperation. Journalists can showcase examples of communities working together across divisions, helping the wider public understand that progress is achievable. Civil society groups can amplify the voices of farmers, traders, teachers, and young people, translating local concerns into policy proposals that reach national leaders. These actors help ensure that peace and development are not just abstract promises, but tangible goals informed by the everyday experiences of ordinary people.
Within this ecosystem, the Kusaug Traditional Council (KTC) bears a special responsibility. As guardians of the area’s history and cultural legitimacy, chiefs and elders can set a tone that prioritises unity and stability over factional gain. When they convene forums where grievances are aired respectfully and solutions discussed openly, they create space for reconciliation and transparent planning. Their influence can motivate all sides — government, opposition, and local actors — to collaborate on peace, education, security, and livelihoods rather than solely viewing the region through the lens of conflict.
Hence, it is crucial for the Council to engage constructively with all major political traditions, not just individual personalities. By maintaining open dialogue with all parties, including the NPP and Dr Bawumia himself, they reinforce the message that Kusaug’s commitment is to the nation’s democratic process and to whichever administration is willing to invest in peace and progress in Kusaug. A council that welcomes broad engagement helps protect the area from being reduced to a bargaining chip in national rivalries and instead positions Kusaug as a partner in shaping inclusive policies that endure beyond election cycles.
Building Internal Unity in Kusuag
Ultimately, Kusaug must foster a strong internal unity that extends beyond narrow partisan loyalties. The well-being of Kusaug cannot depend on the success of any single party or candidate; it relies on neighbours, elders, youth, traders, and professionals agreeing that their shared priority is peace and prosperity. Healthy competition of ideas is natural in a democracy. Still, when allegiance becomes an identity that overshadows common interests, it risks fragmenting the very strength needed to overcome years of conflict.
This is why political debate should be viewed as a means to promote stability and development, rather than an end in itself. Whether people prefer NDC or NPP, they can still agree on basic principles: security for every household in Kusaug, schools that remain open, markets that flourish, and a fair justice system. By concentrating on these shared goals, communities make it clear that politics is a tool to resolve issues, not a weapon to deepen divisions. A unified voice calling for action on peace, jobs, infrastructure, and reconciliation has more influence in Accra than scattered appeals coloured by partisanship.
Internal solidarity also shields Kusaug from being labelled as a bloc aligned with one side of the national contest. When the Kusaug people show that their loyalty lies with peace, fairness, and opportunity — not with permanent factionalism — they encourage every government to regard the region as a valued partner. This stance enhances bargaining power, diminishes the urge for outsiders to exploit local divisions, and sets the stage for lasting stability and progress.
Conclusion
Kusaug stands at a crucial turning point. The coming years will test whether the region can transform a history of turbulence into a future marked by cooperation and opportunity. That change will depend less on who holds high office and more on whether the Kusaug people, chiefs, youth groups, women’s associations, and business leaders choose to stay engaged in the national conversation. The path taken now — whether towards dialogue or withdrawal — will influence how security, education, and commerce develop for the next generation.
Constructive participation does not mean dismissing the past or accepting hollow assurances. It involves engaging with clarity about grievances, making consistent demands for fairness and self-determination, and proposing practical solutions for progress. It requires insisting that peace be rooted in justice and that development benefits farmers, teachers, traders, and students alike. By maintaining their seat at the table, whether Dr Bawumia remains the leader of the NPP or not, the Kusaug’s people safeguard their ability to influence key policies, from policing to agricultural support, from school rebuilding to market revitalisation. They also send a message to Accra that the Kusaug people are committed to working towards stability and prosperity, not merely waiting for it. This way, the Kusaug people would choose hope over fear. We would see the future not as something out of our control, but as something we can shape for the better through concerted and collective effort; we choose to work for the Kusaug as it should be, as our children deserve it to be.
The task is challenging, but the reward is great: a Kusaug region where every child can walk to school safely, where traders do business without curfews or roadblocks, and where discussions about politics are no longer dominated by suspicion. With consistent engagement, accountability, and empathy from all sides, Kusaug can change from being viewed only through the lens of conflict to becoming a model of inclusive development and civic resilience for all of Ghana.
