The politicisation of a chieftaincy conflict: the case of Dagbon, northern Ghana

Abstract

This paper examines the chieftaincy succession conflict in Dagbon, Northern Ghana. It traces the history of the struggle for the kingship title between the two feuding clans, the Abudu and the Andani clans, and analyzes in detail the clashes of March 2002 which resulted in the death of the incumbent king of Dagbon and several of his supporters. Using data and information gathered from key informant interviews and an analysis of newspaper and internet sources, the paper concludes that the conflict has been highly politicised because chiefs, royals and the educated elite in Dagbon have a tradition of being involved in national politics and have often used their influence in government to attain high traditional office. Furthermore, the desire of Ghana’s two main political parties for electoral votes in the keenly contested elections has contributed to the politicisation of the Dagbon conflict since the return to civilian rule in 1992.