Abstract:
The Northern Region is witnessing protracted and relapsed conflicts and attempts
at restoring enduring peace, largely, through Western models, particularly, the
formal court system, have not been successful. This study analyses conflicts and
conflict management mechanisms in the Northern Region of Ghana towards a
comprehensive and sustainable management of the conflicts. The study is purely
qualitative, employing the multiple case study design. Sixty-two participants
were, purposively, selected for the study. Interview guide, focus group discussion
guide and observation checklist were the instruments used for data collection.
Data were analysed using thematic and cross-site analysis. The study found that
each faction constructs a kind of mythical history mingling elements of truth
about the olden days. Different versions of the history, while not held by all
members of the community, tend to provide a continuing rationale for rejecting
pragmatic compromises. Besides, the procedural structure and adversarial nature
of the court system produced unsatisfactory outcomes, which do not create
opportunities for peacebuilding initiatives. Indigenous mechanisms were, also,
reliant on unwritten and flexible precedents, which lead to an abuse of the
mechanisms by the traditional leaders. The study concludes, among others, that
indigenous processes are currently inconsistent and, sometimes, discriminatory.
Nonetheless, the mechanisms have proven to be meaningful, accessible, and
affordable. Therefore, Peace Councils should develop a comprehensive
programme to incorporate aspects of both the indigenous and Western-centred
judicial structures for the purposes of legitimacy.
