Abstract:
One of the key attributes of ethnic conflicts is that they could be
complex and intractable. The Alavanyo-Nkonya conflict is one such conflict
that presents traits of a complex conflict since the first violence was recorded
in 1923. To understand such complexity, a qualitative research design was
employed to study the conflict. Primary data was collected through in-depth
interviews of six key informants selected purposively from among conflict
parties and mediators. Secondary data from 1923 to 2015 was collated from
news reports and a temporal analysis was conducted on the secondary data
whilst the interview transcripts were subjected to thematic content analysis to
identify issues of dynamics. The study found that overall, the trend of the
conflict indicates that violent incidents and the peace-building efforts have
both increased but intervention efforts have generally superseded the violence,
which is probably why this conflict has not blown out into a full scale war.
The study also found that various dynamics related to land, ethnic
mobilization and generational turnover are playing-out in the course of the
conflict. These dynamics bring complexity to the Alavanyo-Nkonya conflict
and these dynamics also make the conflict complex. The study recommends
that state agencies and mediators adopt a modified peace-building approach
that transforms the conflict, pays attention to original conflict actors and
pursue the possibility of amicably setting aside the hurdle of previous court
rulings. Further and wider research is also important for understanding the
relationship between conflict complexity and protraction in Ghana.
