Wa, Ghana

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wa is the capital of the Upper West Region of Ghana and is the main city of the Wala people. It is the only large city in Ghana where the majority of the inhabitants are Muslim. There are also Catholics and other Christians among the population and intercommunal relations are generally good. It is the seat of the Wa-Na, the Paramount Chief of the Wala traditional area. Features of the town include several mosques, the Wa-Na Palace, a museum and a nearby hippopotamus sanctuary. The town serves as a transportation hub for the northwestern part of Ghana, with major roads leading south to Kumasi, north to Hamile and Burkina Faso, and northeast to Tumu and the Upper East Region. There is also a small airport.

History

Wa has been inhabited for several hundred years, first by Lobi and Dagaare people, and then by Islamic scholars and traders who settled there in order to participate in the trans-Saharan trade. These newcomers adopted the Dagaare language and to some extent simplified its grammar, as well as incorporating numerous loan words from Hausa, such as lafia (satisfactory) and alabasa (onion). The name of the town means 'come' in the Waali language.

Environment

Wa is in the southern part of the Sahel, the semi-arid area south of the Sahara that ranges from Senegal to the Sudan. Average annual rainfall is around 1000mm, almost all of which occurs between May and October. Following the May-October rainly season is a cool dry period called the Harmattan (in Waali sesiao sanga) when a steady, often dusty, north wind blows from the Sahara. The hottest period of the year is in February and March when daytime temperatures often reach 110 F (42 C).

Food and Agriculture

Despite its urban status, Wa is in many ways still an agricultural community, and many people make a good portion of their living in small scale farming. The main crops are corn, millet, yams, okra and groundnuts. Upland rice is also farmed in a few areas. The major fruit crop is the mango. Shea nuts are collected from wild trees, for food or refinement into oils and cosmetics.

The staple food of Wa is known as T-Zed in English. This is an abbreviation for the Hausa expression tuo zaafi, meaning 'very hot'. In Waali, this food is referred to as sao. It is a thick porridge of corn flour eaten like fufu - by tearing off a chunk and dipping into a soup, usually of okra.

The Wa Chieftancy

The paramount chief of the Wala people is known as the Wa-na (na means chief in Waali.)

The Wala chieftancy has an unusually long recorded history, in various documents in Arabic and Hausa. A dispute over the order of succession for the Wa-na began with the death of the Wa-na in 1998. This acriminous and sometimes violent controversy was partially resolved in 2003 with the enskinment of a new Wa-na. His unfortunate death in September of 2006 leaves the future of the Wa-na again uncertain.

The Wa-na's palace is a good example of traditional Sahelian architecture, with an exterior similar to that of the main mosque of Bobo-Dioulasso.

The Dumba Festival

The Dumba festival was the main traditional event of Wa. It was typically held in late September to correspond with the harvest. The highlight of the year was a ceremony in which the Wa-na stepped over a small cow lying on the ground. According to traditional belief, if any part of the chief or his clothing touched the cow, he would probably die within the year. If on the other hand he stepped over the cow successfully, he was guaranteed a successful coming year.