The Lesiri Concept: An Indigenous Mechanism for Solving Chieftaincy Conflicts among Waala of the Upper West Region of Ghana

摘要

The purpose of the research paper was to discover and describe indigenous mechanisms of resolving chieftaincy conflict among the Waala of the Upper West Region of Ghana. The Lesiri concept is an indigenous mechanism for solving chieftaincy conflicts among Waala of the Upper West Region of Ghana. The research paper endeavoured to address several essential questions which assisted the researcher in documenting the findings of the study. The researcher undertook a review of literature in the area of the nature of chieftaincy dispute and conflict resolution. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were used. There are provisions within Waala society and in the Kingdom for indigenous means of dispute resolution that have been relegated to the background. It was discovered in the study that these indigenous approaches have the potency to resolve chieftaincy conflicts among the Waala royals. The study discovered that the use of the formal law courts have not been effective in resolving the persistent Wa chieftaincy conflict. It was also discovered that a disregard for indigenous conflict resolution approach has been a contributory factor to the inability of feuding parties to find a solution to the persistent Wa chieftaincy conflict. This research paper is an aspect of my unpublished PhD thesis.