Bawku
Town and district capital in Upper East Region, Ghana
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bawku is a town in and the capital of Bawku Municipal District, Upper East Region, in north Ghana, adjacent to the border with Burkina Faso.[2][3][4] The municipality has a total land area of about 257 km2.[5] It was established by Legislative Instrument (L.I) 2103.[5] In 2021, Bawku had a population of 119,458 people.[1][6]
Bawku | |
|---|---|
| |
  Bawku Location of Bawku in Upper East Region | |
| Coordinates: 11°3′36″N 0°14′24″W | |
| Country | Ghana |
| Region | Upper East Region |
| District | Bawku Municipal District |
| Population (2012) | |
• Total | 69,527[1] |
| Time zone | GMT |
| • Summer (DST) | GMT |
Cultural and tourist sites
Naa Gbewaa shrine
The "tomb" of Naa Gbewaa, a shrine to the founder of the Mamprusi, Dagomba, and Nanumba tribes, is located just a few kilometers from Bawku in Pusiga, in the Upper East Region of Ghana. The shrine is thought to have been built in the 14th century, and it is a place of spiritual reverence.[7]
Bawku conflict
The Bawku conflict is a long-standing chieftaincy and ethnic dispute primarily between the Kusasi and Mamprusi communities in and around the Bawku Municipal District, near the border with Burkina Faso, dating back to 1957.[8] Rooted in the colonial indirect-rule framework and sharpened by post-independence policy reversals, the dispute centres on claims to the paramount chieftaincy (the Bawku skin) and associated land authority.[9] Periodic escalations have led to deaths, injuries, displacement, curfews, and significant economic and social disruption.[10][11] In July 2025, the government again deployed additional soldiers and tightened curfews following renewed violence, including attacks on schools.[12]
