The funeral of the late Ya Na Mahamadu Abdulai IV will commence today, 14 December 2018 at Yendi in the Northern Region.
The funeral forms part of the roadmap announced by the Otumfuo-led Committee of Eminent Chiefs to restore peace in the area.
The funeral by the Abudus will end on 28 December 2018.
They will then vacate the temporary Gbewa Palace for the Andanis to organise the funeral of the late Ya Na Yakubu Andani II from 4 – 18 January 2019.
There is heavy presence of police and military to maintain peace.
Background
The two royal gates of Dagbon have been engaged in chieftaincy conflicts that boiled over on 27 March 2002 and resulted in the assassination of Ya Na Yakubu Andani and the killing of 30 others.
The government of then-president John Agyekum Kufuor declared a state of emergency and imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew on the Dagbon Traditional Area.
The Kufuor government set up the Justice Wuako Commission to investigate the crisis and it has since submitted its report.
The government also appointed the Committee of Eminent Chiefs led by the Asantehene to find a traditional solution to the impasse.
On 21 November 2018, the eminent chiefs made up of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Yagbonwura, Tuntumba Boresa Sulemana Jakpa I and Nayiri, Naa Bohogu Abdulai Mahami Sheriga presented the progress report to the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in the presence of chiefs from both the Andani and Abudu gates at the Jubilee House.
The committee recommended that the Abudu royal family from Friday, 14 December to 28 December 2018 hold funeral activities in honour of the late Ya Na Mahamadu Abdulai IV while the funeral of the late Ya Na Abdulai Yakubu Andani II of the Andani royal gate will be held afterwards from 4 January 2019 to 18 January 2019.
A new Ya Na for Dagbon is expected to be enskinned after the royal funerals to bring lasting peace to the area.
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