The Northern Region is witnessing protracted and relapsed conflicts, and attempts at resolving these largely through Western models, particularly the formal court system have not been successful. As such, this study explores the relevance of indigenous conflict management mechanisms in restoring enduring peace in the Northern Region of Ghana. The study employed a multiple case study design. Data was collected from fortythree purposively selected respondents using interviews, focus group discussions, and observations. The results from thematic and cross-site analysis revealed that indigenous mechanisms have features of inclusive participatory approach at all levels of the conflict leading to acceptable outcomes. The traditional mechanisms have proven to be immediate and meaningful, accessible, and affordable. The use of local languages is well understood by all parties and processes and procedure are well attuned to local needs as they produce quick justice for the people. The development of a comprehensive programme to incorporate aspects of both the indigenous and western-centred judicial structures for the purposes of legitimacy of management outcomes is proposed.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.