Indigenous Authorities and Conflict Management: Konkomba-Dagomba Chiefdom’s Perspective
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This qualitative article examines how colonial rule disrupted indigenous conflict management systems in Northern Ghana, exacerbating inter-ethnic tensions. Drawing on ethnographic interviews, archival records and thematic analysis to compare the acephalous Konkomba and centralised Dagomba chiefdoms, it argues that colonial policies subordinated Konkomba structures to Dagomba authority, undermining pre-colonial restorative justice mechanisms. The study advocates for the deliberate integration of these indigenous epistemologies into modern peacebuilding frameworks. In northern Ghana and other post-colonial African conflict zones, this hybrid approach, which legitimises local authority and culturally grounded practices, is offered as a crucial model for long-term conflict transformation.
Source: SAGE Open
Author: Kwabena Darko Akuamoah
Institution: Ho Technical University
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,600
OpenAlex ID: W7225874337