Role of traditional authorities in ethnic conflict management and resolution in the East Gonja and Kpandai Districts in the Northern Region of Ghana

Abstract

The study examined the role of traditional authorities in ethnic conflict management and resolution in the East Gonja and Kpandai districts in the Northern Region of Ghana. Case study research design was employed for the study. The study population included chiefs, opinion leaders, youth leaders, governmental and non-governmental agencies interested in peace building and development in the two districts. Purposive sampling technique was employed to sample 28 respondents for the study. Both the primary and secondary data were used. In-depth interview guides were used in interviewing the respondents. The contents, case and inductive analyses were adopted in organising and analysing the data. The study revealed that the origins of the violent ethnic conflicts between the historically non-centralised ethnic groups and their centralised neighbours in the districts are rooted in the colonial legacy and policy, and strengthened by globalisation. These factors undoubtedly influenced the conflicts. Most of the actors in the ethnic conflicts in the East Gonja and Kpandai districts involved all the feuding ethnic groups but politicians and the elites in the society worsened the situation. The analysis showed that, to be able to manage and resolve ethnic conflicts effectively, the root causes and the actors of the conflicts need to be examined. The findings of the study revealed that state mechanisms have failed in resolving the ethnic conflicts leading to their recurring. It was recommended that the government should give due attention to the traditional authorities in ethnic conflicts management and resolution since the use of state mechanisms alone over the years has proved to be ineffective, compromised and biased.