Ghana deploys soldiers to quell northern chieftancy dispute

ACCRA (Reuters) -Ghana has deployed more soldiers to a northeastern region where a long-running conflict over chieftancy has fuelled recent violence, including attacks on schools, a spokesperson for President John Dramani Mahama said.

The Bawku chieftaincy conflict, which goes back decades, has remained one of Ghana’s most protracted ethnic flash points, often resulting in violent clashes and loss of lives. It is rooted in a dispute between the Mamprusi and Kusaasi ethnic groups over who can appoint a chief for the area.

Violence in the area last week included the killing of a Kusaasi chief as well as three high school students by gunmen who stormed their campuses, according to local media reports.