ASSESSING THE RELEVANCE AND EFFICACY OF TRADITIONAL MODELS OF CONFLICT MANAGEMENT IN MODERN AFRICAN STATES
Keywords:
Indigenous, Colonialism, Social Control, Integration, PeaceAbstract
The perception of pessimism arising from a sceptical gesture regarding the possibility of traditional models of conflict management attaining a prominent place in modern African societies has been a major concern for those who uphold that the indigenous model is still potent and relevant in contemporary times. Despite several efforts and application of diverse foreign strategies for conflict management and social control, most of the independent African states are far from witnessing durable peace. This article adopted a critical-analytical method to examine the dynamics of conflict management in pre-colonial days in Africa vis-a vis current trends in modern African states and the impacts of colonialism and foreign religions on African traditional methods of resolving conflicts. Relying on empirical evidence, this article argued that socio-economic and political factors such as family structure, poor economy, poverty, institutionalized corruption, disappointments in the modern model of conflict management and social control among others constitute the rationale for the relevance and sustainability of traditional models across the continent. This paper further accentuated the efficacy of traditional mechanisms in this present age and concluded by projecting a fusion of both indigenous and modern models of managing conflicts as a way of attaining socio-political stability, development and peacebuilding in modern African states.
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