The biggest traditional festival of the Savannah Region of Ghana is the DENG FESTIVAL of Sonyo. This traditional festival has been celebrated by the Vagla People, namely the Vagla, Safalba, Choruba, and Nomee/Batigee, for centuries. The festival is usually celebrated based on the Lunar Calendar, which mostly falls in May every year. However, the 2025 Deng Festival fell within April 2025 based on the calculations of the Lunar Calendar (not the Gregorian Calendar).
The 2025 Deng Festival commenced from April 26th to 30th 2025, in the ancient town of Sonyo under the traditional leadership of the Sonyo Koro (Kajin-wura) Jara Forgo Pentu, Sonyo Kupo (Kuubu) Kuubu Gbolo Choribea, and the Kezeehin (Kasang-wura) Kanalubi Gbesubu and the entire VASCAN (Koro Tindana Council) members. Sonyowura Kanyiti I and other Ngbanya Chiefs and elders joined the Vagla group to celebrate the 2025 Deng Festival of Sonyo. Several sons and daughters of the land and the Savannah region visited Sonyo to celebrate the 2025 Deng Festival. The festival is of great blessings to all people within the Savannah region and beyond where people who have suffered some challenges including barrenness and infertility received the blessings of childbirth. Also, blessings for the festival include good harvest for the Land and the power of the Shrine/deity to cleanse people with witchcraft powers to be set free. The cleansing makes such witches and wizards harmless-good for communities. Other blessings include political fortunes among others for people who seek such blessings from the power Shrine of the Land.
Woori is the second most powerful event of the Deng Festival, where the Vagla people go into the bush or the forest to hunt for wildlife like the RABBIT HUNT. The catching of the rabbit is a very important feature of the festival. Thus, the people of Sonyo have always made every effort to protect their forest reserves from dangerous human activities like heavy cattle grazing from herdsmen like the activities of Fulani, with the core aim to protect the flora and fauna of Sonyo environs. This implies that the Deng Festival of Sonyo is crucial in the context of environmental protection. The community’s name Sor-Nyor means ‘bath and drink’ in Vagli.
The Grand Durba day was on Sunday, 27th April 2025 in which some key statements emanated from some prominent speakers. His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Ghana, H.E. John Dramani Mahama was the Special Guest of Honour for the traditional festival, who was highly represented by the Distinguished Member of Parliament for Bole-Bamboi Hon Alhaji Yussif Sulemana, who is also the Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources. Several other prominent politicians graced the 2025 Deng Festival from both the ruling party (NDC) and the main opposition party (NPP), including the immediate former DCE/MCE for Bole, in the person of Madam Veronica Alele Heming, who is a prominent Royal Princess of Sonyo (Kupo Dynasty).
Some key statements from the Honorable MP for Bole-Bamboi Constituency Hon Alhaji Yussif Sulelemana included government efforts or plans on improving the telecommunication networks in the Sonyo area and the road network ultimately in the long term of opening and connecting the Gorbol (Grupe)-Sonyo-Bole Road. The District Chief Executive (DCE) for the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District Hon Saaka Sinkinah emphasises the need for all to pool resources together and target a particular project through an appeal for funds during every Deng Festival towards the socio-economic development of the Sonyo area, In another keynote address of the President of the Vagla Youth Association Mr Naboma Ahiah emphasises the need for technical vocational education (TVET), all communities to protect their environment and find a peaceful way of dealing with the Fulani herdsmen menace and the issues between the herdsmen and the farmers. These efforts aim to help or boost food production in all farming communities of the Land. The current National Executive members of VAYA deserve great commendation for their cooperation and support as well as the great support of the Advisory Board and the continued support of past VAYA executives and presidents including Isaac, Jacob, Emmanuel, and Madam Fati among others. The support of all Vagla group members and others is deeply appreciated. All who contributed in cash, and in-kind are highly commendable.
The theme of the 2025 Deng Festival is Harnessing the Deng Festival of Savannah Region: A Cultural Tool for Tourism Development. There could not have been a better theme than this as the Deng Festival is a powerful tool for tourism. The Chiefs and people of the Savannah Region see the Deng Festival as a powerful tool for attracting tourists to Sonyo which in turn will and should contribute to the socio-economic development of Sonyo, the Bole District and the Savannah Region at large. Ghana as a country stands to benefit from tourism with the inclusion of the Deng Festival into National Festivals with the needed support to attract tourists outside Ghana to the Sonyo area to witness the celebration of the ancient Traditional Deng Festival of Sonyo.
The Yaaje/Yaayie communities and other supporting community members as usual played their traditional roles in the display of their rich attire/clothes. These communities included Gindaabol (Jentilpe), Segeze (Seripe) Dakurbol (Dakurpe). Also, Mamful, Mankumah, and Chaabol (Kiape) among others. In all, the 2025 Deng Festival was celebrated in a grand style in the Spirit of Unity of the Vagla people and the other ethnic groups in the Savannah Region. Many of the Vagla group members came from many communities Kunlog (Jelinkon), Mmaam’darin (Mandarin), Zaakpa (Sakpa), Nuukwabe (Nakwabi), Tuuna (Tuna), Jam (Jang), Dabori, Soglizee (Sawla), Sanyari, Kunfugsi, Nahari, Yipala, Gbenfu, Beel (Bole) among others. The last day is reserved for the Vagla Chiefs (Koro)/Heuhina/Tindanas/Tingbansoba Numa who performed several traditional rites for the good of the Land for the people at Sacred Site/Ground. The hardworking Secretary to the Koro Tindana Council (VASCAN Council) Mr. Kipo Ahiah’s work is appreciated for the years of sacrifices for the Vagla Chiefs Council. Long Live Our Chiefs! Long Live Our Youth! Long Live Our Politicians!
Credit: KORO TINDANA COUNCIL, SAVANNAH REGION@SONYO
