In the style of the biblical King Solomon, whose wisdom brought peace to a divided house, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene, revealed how he deployed traditional authority to pull Ghana back from the brink of electoral disaster following the 2016 general election.
Addressing the United Nations High-Level Forum on the Culture of Peace in New York in 2019, Otumfuo disclosed that the country “stood on the edge of disaster” after the polls, with UN representatives and the diplomatic community alarmed that Ghana was about to “slip down the slope of electoral violence.”
Speaking with quiet pride, the Asantehene described how the moral authority of his revered Manhyia Palace intervened when political tensions threatened to boil over.
“Fortunately, the moral authority of the Palace was at hand,” Otumfuo told the gathering, adding, “We were able to intervene to persuade the losing candidate to accept his fate and to fly both candidates for a quiet encounter to pave the way for a smooth handover.”
In the immediate aftermath of the elections, tensions ran high amid accusations and fears of retaliatory violence.
While the world watched for signs of Ghana’s famed stability cracking, the Asantehene revealed that back-channel diplomacy saved the day.
He said he brought the “combatants into a quiet conclave to cool passions and restore calm.”
“These are the highest examples of the crucial roles behind the curtains when the moral force of traditional authority is harnessed to protect the peace, unity, and security of Ghana,” he stated.
The Asantehene used the UN platform to champion the fusion of traditional and contemporary governance, noting that Ghana is showing the world the benefits of such cohesion.
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