The Member of Parliament for Zebilla, Cletus Avoka, has attributed the longstanding Bawku conflict to historical and socio-political factors dating back to pre-colonial and colonial periods.

Speaking on Good Morning Ghana on Metro TV on Wednesday, October 29, 2024, he criticised commentators on the issue, stating that many lack a thorough understanding of the issues.

He traced the roots of the conflict to the arrival of the Mamprusi in Bawku during the Trans-Saharan trade era.

As trade routes facilitated the movement of goods such as gunpowder and kola nuts through Salaga, then to Nalerigu and Bawku, the Nayiri, chief of the Mamprusi, decided to establish a security presence in Bawku to protect traders from threats, including attacks from Kusasi inhabitants.