Accra: The remains of the deceased eighteenth century Ahanta King, Nana Badu Bonsu II, whose head was decapitated by the Dutch colonialists and sent to Holland have arrived, local government said.
A statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration said bringing back the remains was made possible following a successful negotiation between Ghana and the Netherlands.
The initiative aims to give the late king a befitting interment by the chiefs and people of the Ahanta Traditional area.
The statement said the late Nana Bonsu II was enthroned during the era of the Dutch colonial occupation of the coast of Guinea, including the Western Region of present day Ghana.
It said it was alleged that the late king ambushed and killed a number of Dutch soldiers in an exchange of hostilities.
The statement added that the massacre was a slap in the face of the Dutch colonial occupation and a punitive expedition was dispatched to arrest the king who was eventually court-martialled, found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging.
Bureau Report
First Published: Sunday, July 26, 2009, 14:37