Owusu-Ansa

Owusu-Ansa (1823 - November 13, 1884) was a prince of the Ashanti Empire. He was taken to the United Kingdom as adolescent, where he received a British education. After his return to West Africa in 1841, he first became a Methodist minister and, after his resignation from that position, a diplomat in the Ashanti Empire and the British Gold Coast. He played an important role in ending or preventing several Anglo-Ashanti conflicts.

Life Hostage Owusu-Ansa was born as son of Asantehene Osei Bonsu in 1823, but there is practically no information about his life until 1831. In April 27 of that year, he and his cousin Nkwantabisa were handed over to the British as hostages, part of the Maclean treaty ending the first Anglo-Ashanti war. Until 1836, both lived in the Gold Coast colony capital of Cape Coast, where they adopted Methodist Christianity.

Diplomat In December 1862, he resigned from the Methodist ministry, part of a larger trend of Africans leaving the Methodist service. He again played a large role in bringing an end to the second Anglo-Ashanti war, volunteering to negotiate with the leader of the Ashanti army, Owusu Koko. For his efforts, he was rewarded with a post in the colony's post office from 1863 to 1867. In that year, he again went to Kumasi, first for several months and then for over three years. Most of that time was spent as captive of the new Asantehene Kofi Karikari, who wanted to use his literary abilities and prevent information about a planned Ashanti attack on the Gold Coast from leaking out.