Conflicts denying Bawku of Development Projects - Mills

Bolgatanga, May 27, - President John Evans Atta Mills on Wednesday stated that development projects meant for the Bawku Municipality have been halted because of the protracted conflict in the area. "There can be no development without peace. If any donor or NGO is uncertain about the continuity of the projects they set up or whether it can go on to function, they would rather have it somewhere else." President Mills said this when he met the Paramount Chief of Bawku Traditional Area, Naba, Azoka Abugrago II; his Sub-Chiefs and Elders in Bolgatanga.

He thanked the people of Bawku for voting the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to power and said it was time to work for a better change and a better country. He, however, said that could not be done under violent conditions.

President Mills told the Chiefs and Elders that they and the Government had a common interest in finding lasting peace in Bawku and urged them to continue working towards that. Naba Abugrago agreed with President Mills and said it was time to find a lasting solution to the violent conflict in the area that had disturbed the people for a long time.

He noted that it was not good to be unable to go to all parts of the Bawku area in freedom as the case was. Naba Abugrago said the chieftaincy in dispute in Bawku had been solved a long time ago, so people who still referred to it as the cause of the conflict might be refusing to accept the truth.

The Bawku conflict has its roots in pre-independence and has been fought at least four times over the past five decades. The last conflict, which embers are now dying gradually, started on December 31, 2007 and has since been intermittent with various degrees of violence. The most recent violence reoccurred on April 30 2009. 27 May 09