PHOTO: A student hands over the stick to be buried.
Bawku Senior High and Bawku Technical Institute have been at each other’s throats for decades, with violent student riots erupting time and again. But in a bizarre bid to finally put an end to the madness, local traditional rulers oversaw a symbolic ‘peace ritual’—burying an okro stick to mark the end of hostilities.
The timing couldn’t have been better, as Bawku itself remains gripped by a brutal chieftaincy conflict that shows no signs of ending.
But just as the schools were meant to be turning over a new leaf, chaos broke out yet again! Clashes erupted during the peace ceremony, with students from both sides pelting each other with stones. When the dust settled, five students lay injured and had to be rushed to hospital.
Despite the mayhem, the organisers pressed on—making sure the okro stick was buried as planned.
Swift action from the Bawku Divisional Police Command, backed by the military, eventually restored order. Security forces are monitoring both schools closely to prevent further flare-ups.
The question remains—will this symbolic act truly end the long-running school war, or is it just a matter of time before tensions boil over again?
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