History of Sefwi People of Ghana, Togo and Ivory Coast.

Sefwi People can be found in Western Region of Ghana, some parts of Central Togo and some parts of Ivory Coast and they are parts of the Akan subgroups also part of the Niger- Congo Speaking and they are related to the Ahanta, Wassa, Jwira- Pepesa and Nzema People of Ghana.  

According to Sefwi Anthropologist Sholomo Beta It is believed they migrated from Present day Jerusalem in Present day Israel they were kicked out from Israel by Assyrians and moved Southwards to Present day Egypt and settled in Present day Northern part of Sudan before they migrated to the Southwest mountainous region of Present day Uganda, before settling in Present day Mali finally they migrated to Central part of Togo, some of the groups who migrated to Present day Central Togo were left behind before they settled in their homeland Gold Coast Present day Ghana and Present day Ivory Coast , Sefwi settled in Present day Takyiman in the Brong Ahafo, Region there was a phrase known as ” Asawie” meaning the war is over or it is finished due to the migrations there were settlers from Takyiman spelled as Techiman, Wenchi, Adanse, Denkyira, Assin and Asante who settled on the territories of Aowin escaping from wars in the 17th Century.  

Sefwi family were forced to fled and settled in Present day homelands in Present day Wiawso fume, Ewiaso, Obumangama was told to established his own domain by the end of the 17th Century , Aowin expanded which led to confrontations with strong new forces that controlled the trade routes and gold this made Aowins lose much of their territories to new forces, Sefwi groups who won in wars settled in with much of their captives in Aowin their language is combined with Bono , Wassa, Ahanta and Asante Twi most of them also stayed among others in Adanse, Ivory Coast, Togo, Denkyira, Bono, Aowin, some finally settled in other areas who traced their roots back to Denkyira Royals and Asante Royals from Agona, Sefwi is made up of three traditional states such as Anhwiaso , Sefwi Bekwai, Wiawso, the Independent Paramount Chief have something in common especially a god named Osobore or Sobore and a festival celebration known as Yam festival known as Alluole also spelled Elue and they have seven districts and seven constituencies such as Bia east, Bia west, Bibiani, Anhwiaso, Sefwi Bekwai, Bodi, Juabuso, Sefwi Akontombra, Sefwi Wiawso, Aowin and shares the Western Region with ethnic group such as Nzema, Wasa, Ahanta as well they were vasal states of Denkyira after Denkyira was defeated by the Asante, Sefwi gained their Independence from Denkyira but later were taken by Asante, It is believed Sefwi was rich in gold, Ivory, copper which led them to prosperity .

 According to Sholomo account before settling in Gold Coast Present day Ghana, Togo and Ivory Coaat they left Present day Egypt and Israel with the ancient pratices of the so called Jews they followed the Torah written in Hebrew language before the arrival of the Europeans in the Sefwi land , before they were converted into Euro Judeo Religion known as Christianity and Sefwi rest on Saturday as they believed their Ancestors used to do In the mid 17th Century the vast strenched the territory had served as a centre of refuge for people escaping to their neighboring north and to the east, Sefwi Asona clan traced their roots to Ansa in Adanse, Wenchi appeared to have been founded by the Bronos, Asona of Kesekrom and Ahibenso in Wiawso area claimed to have came from Ahiwiawso in Wenchi and their Original homeland can be traced to Present day Wenchi during the reign of Asantehene Osei Tutu l it is believed Asante had sacked and destroyed Ahwene Koko their Old Capital so it led to another migration to Aowin and Nzema areas the people of Ahwene Koko migrated to what is now Present day Wenchi, In their Oral tradition during the reign of Nana Ntwan l also referred as Nana Nkoa l who was the 2nd ruler of Wiawso, Denkyirahene Boa Amponsem l presented him a drum known as Etwie drum and exchanges of gifts, Nana Boa Amponsem l told Nana Ntwan that the drum is to acknowledge his vasalage to Denkyira, They both met in Denkyira before Nana Ntwan l left for Sefwiman then Denkyirahene passed away in 1692, therefore It is highly probable that Nana Ntwan might have been estooled around the early 1600s.  

Wiawso established traced its roots back to between 1670 and 1680 later It is believed Asante won their victory over Denkyira and captured Bekwai, wiawso mainted the defeat of Sefwi took place during the time of Asantehene Nana Osei Tutu l later Asante drive towards the southwards in 1710, Nana Nkoa l was originally known as Nana Ntwan but the British Colonialists anglicized his name and called him Ntwan instead of his real name Ntwan also they recorded a historical errors of Nana Ntwan he was rather the King of Wiawso not King of Wassa.

British were not able to tell the differences of Wassa and Wiawso, Wiawso natives led a role in the Asante- Aowin War under the leadership of General Amankwatia who carried them as Captives to Apollonia in 1715, Nana Ntwan was described as a Warrior King who gathered his brave military and found the willing allies competent to guard their Southwestern frontiers against Aowin his serives to the Asante in the War allowed his town to annexed much of the land to the west of Tano. In the Sefwi Concept Sobore also spelled as Osobore is a god who protect the states from all calamites but each states has it own temple or shrine then Traditonal Priests a raffia palm is very important during worship and honoring Sobore and Nyame Dua which is God’s Tree about 150 years ago there lived a farmer from a village who stuck a machete into the tree which is visible in the trunk of the tree in the modern day the trunk of tree is completed surrounded by the machete and Abombirim sacred forest.

Sefwi Migration In Mali, Togo, Ghana and Ivory Coast and Ancient Pratices from their Ancient land.

The Sefwi People who migrated to Mali before settling in their Present day homeland in Central Togo, Western Region of Ghana and Ivory Coast was believed to have kept the laws of Kosher for about 400 years they eat only chicken and it is believed in the law of Kosher they were forbidden to have a cattle but they eventually forgot how to properly slaughter the cattles.

 Ancient Sefwi was believed to have followed the law of Kosher which they praticed back in Egypt and Israel they only circumise their males on the 8th day then rested and worship on Saturdays which is believed to be the Sabbath but later they separated their menstruating women and celebrated a feast and It is claimed Sefwi who settled in Present day Ghana, Present day Togo and Ivory Coast believed they had a unique culture and traditions but were separated during their exodus from Israel, Egypt, North Sudan, Uganda , Mali before settling in their Present day homelands.   

The Sefwi Ancestors was believed to established a Jewish Village and Synagogue in Sefwi, Wiawso in the Western Region of Ghana some of their people who are non- Jewish converted to Judaism which they strongly believed that Judaisim is the religion of their Ancestors .

 According to some myths Most Sefwi believed they came from the land of Jersusalem before they arrived and made Ghana their home, Sefwi are known for Cocoa this Cocoa is used for many stuffs such as Chocolate, they grow cocoa crops and make baskets for their cocoa. Nana Amakye the Chief of Wiawso’s successor Kwasi Bumankama also known as Oburum Ankama, Oburumankoma Fiakye, Boomuncumma or Burum Kama . He is known to have transferred the groups residence a few miles westwards, from Essamain to the present capital, Wiawso.

Moreover, Bumankama expanded the Asankera domains: he is remembered as a warrior king who established the Asankera’s domains as an emerging political entity in the of the Kingdom of Denkyra”, Bumankama’s reign can confidently be dated to the late seventeenth and early eighteenth century and Below are rulers of Sefwi Wiawso They are Rulers which is the title Omanhene.

1705 – 1720 Nana Kwasi Bumankamah l

1720 – 1790 Nana Nkuah Okomdom I

1790 – 1845 Nana Aduhene I Kogywabour

1845 – 1885 Nana Kwaku Kye

1885 – 1892 Nana Kwaku Nkuah Kaa

1892 – 1900 Nana Kwasi Ata Gyebi I

1900 – 1932 Nana Kwame Tano I

1932 – 1935 Nana Kwame Tano II

1935 – 1945 Nana Kwame Nkuah

1945 – 1952 Nana Kofi Ahinkorah

1952 – 1996 Nana Kwadwo Aduhene II

1997 – 2007 Nana Nkuah Okomdom II

2014- Uptill now Katakyei Kwasi Bumankamah.