The Ghana Police Service in the Upper East Region has directed the postponement of this year’s Damba Festival in Bawku, citing heightened security thr
The Ghana Police Service in the Upper East Region has directed the postponement of this year’s Damba Festival in Bawku, citing heightened security threats and the risk of renewed violence in the conflict-prone municipality.
In a letter dated September 14, 2025, and addressed to the Chairman of the Bawku Damba Festival Committee, the Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) J. Ferguson Dzineku, explained that intelligence gathered indicated that the planned celebrations could endanger public safety and disturb public order.
The decision follows a formal notification from the festival committee on September 12, 2025, requesting clearance to hold the annual event at Natinga, behind the Bawku Post Office, on October 5, 2025.
According to the police, recent violent incidents in the Bawku enclave were central to the decision. On September 15, 2025, armed men reportedly opened fire at Karikafota, Daduri, in the heart of Bawku, resulting in injuries and escalating tension.
The region has also witnessed multiple killings in July and August, which led to the tightening of curfew hours and the introduction of military escorts for both cargo and passenger vehicles.
“These developments,” the letter stressed, “pose significant risks, and allowing a large gathering such as the Damba Festival could aggravate the fragile security situation.”
The police invoked provisions of the Public Order Act, requesting the festival committee to formally communicate its willingness to comply with the postponement within 48 hours.
ACP Dzineku assured the festival organizers that the police remained committed to enforcing the law and maintaining peace in Bawku, which has been a flashpoint of protracted ethnic conflict between Kusasis and Mamprusis.
The Damba Festival, rooted in Islamic tradition but widely celebrated by northern ethnic groups, is a major cultural event marked by drumming, dancing, and horse riding.
However, in conflict-prone areas such as Bawku, such gatherings often raise concerns about the potential for violent clashes.
This is not the first time security agencies have stepped in to regulate public events in Bawku.
Over the past decade, several social and cultural gatherings have either been banned or restricted due to recurring violence linked to chieftaincy disputes and ethnic tensions.
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