The Yagbonwura, King of the Gonja Kingdom, has ordered traditional pacification rites to restore calm in the Bole and Sawla Traditional Areas following the Gbiniyiri conflict, which left at least 34 people dead and displaced about 50,000 residents.
On Friday, 7th November 2025, Lobi and Birifor elders, joined by regional and national leaders, visited the Jakpa Palace in Damongo to seek forgiveness and reaffirm their commitment to peaceful coexistence.
The clashes, which began in August over a disputed plot of land, escalated rapidly into deadly communal violence. Thousands fled to safer communities in Ghana and across the borders into Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast. Some women and children reportedly drowned in the Black Volta while attempting to escape.
Speaking for the Lobi-Birifor Council of Elders, Chairman Thomas Bebeh Sennor expressed regret, describing the conflict as a tragic deviation from centuries of peaceful coexistence. “We know the land belongs to the Yagbonwura, the Overlord of the Gonja Kingdom, and his Chiefs and people,” he said.
The delegation, led by Savannah Regional Minister Salisu Be-Awurbi, Bole-Bamboi MP and Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources Sulemana Yussif, and NDC Savannah Regional Chairman Alhaji Seidu Imoro, requested forgiveness, permission to bury deceased relatives, and government support for victims on both sides.
In response, the Yagbonwura directed the Lobi and Birifor communities to perform customary rites to cleanse the affected lands. The items required include 100 male cattle, seven rams, seven goats, seven white cocks, seven bowls of white kola nuts, a carton of schnapps, and GH¢100,000 — to be provided within three weeks.
Hon. Sulemana Yussif told the media that President John Dramani Mahama had instructed regional leaders to support peace efforts. “The Birifor-Lobi group came to apologize and show remorse. His Majesty has forgiven them, but the pacification rites are necessary for reconciliation and healing,” he said. He also warned youth against using social media to inflame ethnic tensions.
Apostle Dr. Moses Sansa Kongon, a member of the delegation, described the meeting as a “major milestone toward lasting peace,” and urged displaced residents to return home.
Since the incident, internally displaced victims have been assisted to return to their various communities, while government, through NADMO, has made relief donations to affected families and residents.
The Lobi-Birifor Council pledged renewed commitment to peaceful coexistence and vowed to work with Gonja authorities to prevent future clashes. The upcoming pacification ceremony is expected to serve as both a spiritual cleansing and a powerful symbol of reconciliation.
Source: www.KumasiMail.Com/JosephZiem
