Police avert confrontation between Axim and Nsein over Kundum celebration

The Western Regional Police Command worked tirelessly on Monday to restore peace between the leaders and residents of Nsein and Lower Axim, after a potential clash emerged over the organization of Kundum celebrations. Tensions escalated when chiefs and youth from Nsein attempted to stop Axim's traditional "Blue Monday" gathering, a significant event preceding Axim's Kundum Festival finale.

The police quickly stepped in to prevent a physical altercation between the neighboring communities, who have been locked in a dispute over land and traditional authority. Although the police were unavailable for comment at the time of this report, circulating videos show near confrontation, averted only by police intervention. In another viral video, Nsein's paramount chief, Awulae Agyefi Kwame, is heard vehemently proclaiming during the festival's durbar that if police had not permitted the "White Monday" celebration by Nsein, Axim's "Blue Monday" would not have occurred.

This incident follows the police's earlier decision to halt the Nsein community's "White Monday" festivities due to security concerns. The Nsein event was set to coincide with Axim's traditional Esiedu observance, a period marked by traditional restrictions that include a ban on noise-making. Nsein moved the festival's date forward as Axim had always held its celebration prior to Nsein's.

The police feared the simultaneous occurrence of both events posed a security risk and advised against the Nsein event. The situation grew more complex when the Nsein paramount chief demanded permission from the police to lead his people in pouring libation at a fort in Axim, which the police denied, citing fears of a confrontation.

Consequently, some traditional Nsein activities could not be performed as usual during the festival's climax. During the climax of the Nsein Kundum festival on Saturday, instead of riding in a palanquin to the durbar grounds, the Omanhene and his sub-chiefs opted to walk, an act interpreted by some as a protest against the celebration restrictions.

This latest event has reignited interest in the longstanding tensions between Nsein and Axim, particularly regarding land and traditional jurisdiction. Earlier this year, the Nsein Omanhene threatened to prevent Axim residents from using what he claimed was their land, openly asserting authority over the area where parts of Axim are located and warning the Axim Omanhene to seek his permission for certain traditional activities, including Kundum and burial practices.

Despite the Nsein traditional authority granting the Axim people until the end of July to vacate the contested area, the Axim Omanhene's counter press conference called the Nsein leader's bluff. These ongoing disputes have raised concerns about the potential escalation of traditional conflicts into community discord.