REGSEC Halts Kundum Grand Durbar …Paramount Chief questions cancellation

A decision by the two Dixcove paramountcies in the Ahanta West Municipal of the Western Region to bury their differences and jointly organise the 2026 Kundum Grand Durbar has been thrown into uncertainty, following its cancellation by the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) over public safety concerns.

The decision comes after an earlier legal dispute between Upper and Lower Dixcove over the date for the celebration was taken to the High Court, which subsequently encouraged the two sides to return home and resolve the matter amicably.

The two paramountcies subsequently reached an understanding to jointly hold the Grand Durbar on August 26, 2026, with letters reportedly forwarded to the Regional Security Council to communicate the date formally.

However, the REGSEC, chaired by the Western Regional Minister, Joseph Nelson, has now directed that the Grand Durbar planned to climax the 2026 Kundum celebrations in both Lower and Upper Dixcove should not be held.

The decision has left one of the paramount chiefs, Nana Kwesi Agyemang, questioning the circumstances surrounding the cancellation.

Nana Kwesi Agyemang told this reporter that he was shocked by the announcement because he had not personally been informed of the decision by the Regional Security Council.

He said he had invested substantial resources in preparations for the Kundum celebration and was, therefore, concerned about the abrupt cancellation.

The president, John Dramani Mahama, is expected to grace the durbar, according to a flyer announcing the durbar.

The paramount chief disclosed that he personally contacted the Western Regional Minister, Joseph Nelson, to confirm the cancellation but could not obtain a response.

He also said that as recently as Wednesday, August 19, 2026, he had spoken with the Municipal Chief Executive for Ahanta West about the Kundum arrangements and there were no indications that REGSEC had decided to halt the joint durbar.

The development is particularly significant because the joint celebration was understood to have emerged from efforts to resolve the differences between the two Dixcove paramountcies.

The dispute over the Kundum celebration had earlier assumed a legal dimension when Upper Dixcove sued Lower Dixcove at the High Court over the date fixed by Lower Dixcove for its 2026 Kundum celebration.

Rather than allow the matter to divide the traditional areas, the High Court reportedly asked the parties to go home and settle the issue.

The two paramountcies subsequently agreed to jointly hold the Grand Durbar on August 26 as a compromise date and to pave the way for a peaceful celebration.

The agreement was then communicated to the relevant authorities, including REGSEC.

It is against this background that the latest cancellation has generated questions among stakeholders, particularly about what transpired between the reported settlement and the Security Council’s decision.

REGSEC’s position

In a statement signed by Mr Nelson, REGSEC said the decision followed a meeting held on Monday, August 17, 2026, at the Western Regional Co-ordinating Council.

The Council said the meeting was convened to facilitate the successful celebration of the 2026 Dixcove Kundum Festival, recognising its cultural, social and socio-economic importance to the people of Dixcove and the wider Ahanta traditional area.

However, after extensive deliberations, REGSEC said it could not reach an amicable agreement that would provide the necessary conditions for the peaceful conduct of the two Grand Durbars.

It consequently resolved, as a preventive measure, that the two Grand Durbars scheduled for Saturday, August 22, should not be held.

REGSEC stressed that its decision was based purely on public safety and security considerations and was not intended to undermine the cultural significance of Kundum or the legitimate interests of any traditional authority or stakeholder.

The Council further warned traditional authorities, festival committees, residents, visitors, businesses and event organisers against organising or participating in activities intended to climax the 2026 Kundum celebrations in the two Dixcove communities.

Security before celebration

According to REGSEC, the decision was necessary because the prevailing circumstances could potentially result in confrontation, injury, destruction of property or a breakdown of public order.

The Council said it could not support the holding of an event under such circumstances, despite recognising the importance of Kundum to the people and the economic benefits associated with the festival.

It, therefore, appealed to all parties to exercise restraint and refrain from actions or statements that could heighten tensions in the communities.

Unanswered questions

While REGSEC has provided public safety as the basis for the cancellation, the development leaves questions about the communication and engagement between the Council and the traditional authorities, particularly the extent to which the reported joint arrangement was considered before the decision was taken.

For Nana Kwesi Agyemang, the issue is not only the cancellation but also the manner in which the decision was communicated.

His assertion that he was not personally informed, despite his reported discussions with the Ahanta West MCE, as recently as Wednesday, adds a new dimension to the controversy.

It also raises questions about whether the two paramountcies were fully aware of the security concerns that ultimately informed REGSEC’s decision.

The Western Regional Co-ordinating Council, however, has indicated that the door remains open for further engagement.

REGSEC said it would continue working with the traditional authorities, the Ahanta West Municipal Assembly, security agencies and other stakeholders to resolve the underlying differences and restore conditions that would allow the Kundum Festival to be celebrated peacefully in the future.

For now, the cancellation has halted what was expected to be a significant attempt by the two Dixcove paramountcies to move beyond their earlier dispute and present a united front for the celebration of Kundum.

The immediate challenge for the authorities and traditional leaders will be to ensure that the cancellation does not reopen the divisions that the High Court intervention and the subsequent joint-celebration arrangement had sought to resolve.

The paramount chief for Upper Dixcove, Obrempong Hima Dekyi, was not readily available for comment at the time of filing this story.

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