Ghana's murdered monarch

The Fire Festival provided the spark which led to murder

By the BBC's Iliasu Adam Tamale, northern Ghana

A week after the gruesome murder of the Dagbon king in northern Ghana, no arrangements have yet been made for his funeral.

Police have still not found his head and arm, which were hacked off from his body after he was shot.

The region's inhabitants are still in shock and nobody is even thinking about who might succeed him - for fear of reigniting the bloody dispute between rival clans which led to the killing of the king, Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II, and 27 others.

Even now, some people do not accept his death, despite the daily reminder of the fighting.

Soldiers and police are patrolling the streets and the state of emergency and curfew have been extended for another six weeks.

But the truth is that the Lion of Dagbon, as he was known, is no more.

It all started as a relatively minor dispute over the celebration of the annual Bugum or Fire Festival.

The Fire Festival marks the beginning of the year.

Magical powers

It starts in the morning of the ninth day of the first month of the Islamic calendar with the recitation of the Koran, after which a cow is killed and sacrificed to the gods.

At night, people light torches along the road amid drumming and dancing.

They finally converge at the chief's palace where they are told of what to expect in the coming year.

The king reigned for 28 years

It is also a period for individuals to sacrifice to their ancestors and gods and test their magical powers.

People who are confident of their magical powers make others shoot at them or cut them with machetes.

If they are not hurt, it means that their powers are working.

It was the celebration of this festival, which dates back to the 15th century, that led to the shocking killing of the king, the first regicide in the 600 years history of the Dagbon state.

Party political

The murder also has political undertones.

The Abudu faction, who are aligned to the New Patriotic Party government, have constantly demanded that they should be rewarded for their role in the party's December 2000 electoral victory by removing the Ya-Na - who is from the rival Andani clan - and replacing him with one of their own.

But since the occupancy to the Dagbon kingship was decided by the Supreme Court, the government is powerless.

Malik Alhassan Yakubu, the minister of the interior and Yendi MP, who has resigned over the Dagbon crisis, and several other government figures are all Dagombas from the Abudu faction.

But Mr Yakubu denies that he had any involvement in the factional dispute, which has been raging since the 1960s.

Alternate

In 1974, the courts ruled in favour of the Andanis, leading to the "disenkingment" or removal of Ya-Na Mahamadu Abdulai and his replacement with Ya-Na Yakubu Andani.

The court further ruled that the kingship must alternate between the two factions.

But now, the Andanis are saying that those responsible for the Ya-Na's murder should not be allowed to profit from his death.

People here are hoping for rapid progress in the talks currently underway between the two factions and the government in Accra.

Otherwise, they fear the dispute will continue and even lead to more killing.