The National Media Commission (NMC) has urged journalists to play an active role in promoting peace and stability in Bawku, where ongoing conflicts have affected the community’s safety and development.
NMC Chair Yaw Boadu Ayeboafo emphasized that media practitioners should prioritize peace-building in their coverage, as their influence can either heighten tensions or help foster reconciliation.
Addressing journalists at a training workshop in the Ashanti Region, Ayeboafo stressed the responsibility of the media in shaping public perception and encouraging peaceful coexistence.
“Any problem in any part of Ghana is a problem that affects every one of us. We cannot sit in Kumasi or Accra and presume because we don’t know when there may be a need for you to travel.
Because of the Bolgatanga-Walewale road, how would anybody suggest that people can be slaughtered? Are you going to stop going to Bolgatanga because there is a Bawku war? When do you know you will fall victim?”
The workshop, attended by journalists from across the region, aimed to equip them with skills for conflict-sensitive reporting, stressing that their work should contribute to dialogue and understanding rather than deepening divides.
Ayeboafo urged media outlets to collaborate with local leaders, peace advocates, and other stakeholders to ensure balanced coverage that underscores the importance of unity and community well-being in Bawku and beyond.
This latest surge in violence follows the return of Seidu Abagre, a rival chief installed by the Nayiri, who had been in exile after an arrest warrant was issued against him in February 2023 due to his contested installation as chief in Nalerigu.
However, a High Court in Kumasi overturned the warrant on October 17, 2024, clearing the way for Abagre’s return.
His arrival in Bawku on October 26 reignited a long-standing chieftaincy dispute, sparking gunfire exchanges that initially left two people dead and several others injured.
