President John Agyekum Kufuor's recent separate meetings with the leadership of the Kusasis and Mamprusis from the Bawku Municipality is no doubt doing some magic in the area. Since the chieftaincy conflict broke out on January 1, 2008, some high-profile government delegations had been sent to the area to talk to the leadership of the two feuding ethnic groups, yet nothing positive came out of such talks until the President met with them at the Castle a few weeks ago. A visit to the Presbyterian Hospital in Bawku, which some weeks ago was almost deserted by residents, revealed that at least tolerance and some calm had returned to the area as residents trooped to the facility to seek medical care. Though the hospital is located in an area known to be dominated by Mamprusis, the Kusasis who sometime ago feared to enter the area now go to the hospital for medical attention without fear of being attacked. Life at the new lorry station has also returned to normalcy, with passengers arriving and departing from the Municipality without alarm. Youth from the two main ethnic groups no longer seem to fear and suspect one another as was the case at the beginning of the year. A few days ago, a Kusasi loading boy callected the load of a Mamprusi old man from the roadside to the station, much to the surprise and happiness of a reporter of the Daily Guide newspaper and another journalist he was on board a bus with. This situation brought to memory a statement made by a Mamprusi opinion leader, Mohammed Tahiru Nambe that "the solution to this perennial conflict in the Bawku Municipality rested with the people and not anyone else outside the area". Educational activities though disrupted during the conflict and even after have bounced back and teachers and students now attend school regularly. When the conflict first broke out, the people from both sides, especially the youth, killed and mutilated one another and destroyed properties worth several millions of cedis, as if they had never known themselves in the past. "But during my two-day stay in Bawku, I spotted some well-known Mamprusis enter Kusasi areas and likewise Kusasis. They attended funerals and other occasions together without open evidence of fear or intimidation," remarked a journalist. People from both sides unanimously complained that the then 3:00pm curfew was too harsh and really affected their businesses and other social activities. They were therefore happy when it was reviewed. Now the curfew period has further been reviewed from 8:00 pm to 4:00 am. However, in these various calm situations, which some onlookers have described as cosmetic, the security of the area has not been compromised in any way. The Police cum Military night and day patrol is still on, implying that money meant for developmental projects is still being directed into peace keeping. Police search at the entry borders is also ongoing, and even intensified, as vehicles, especially commercial ones, and their passengers spend more time undergoing these searches than before. A source close to the finance office of the Bawku Municipal Assembly hinted that the expenditure on security vehicles and personnel remains almost the same (GH¢300,OOO), aside central government's expenditure. The Municipal Chief Executive, Abdullai Abanga, in an earlier interview with Daily Guide newspaper, appealed to the people of the area to give peace a chance to enable the assembly spend its resources on more meaningful projects. "Bawku Municipality, as a busy commercial centre, should have been far developed than it is now. Most development opportunities have eluded our area, because of periodic contlicts and riots which in most cases cause severe destruction to lives and property", he said. Mr. Abanga has however assured the leadership of the two ethnic groups and their members that his doors are always opened to them, adding that the assembly would extend a helping hand to any of them, as they work towards the return of peace and calm to the area. According to him, despite the disturbance in the area, individuals and organisations including banks had expressed interest in operating in the Bawku Municipality. He also mentioned Metro TV's intended expansion programme which is expected to cover the Bawku Municipality and its environs, but wondered if all these could materialise if calm and peace do not return to the area. By Ebo Bruce-Quansah, Daily Graphic