Conference: The Role of Traditional Institutions for Promoting Sustainable Peace in Africa (Ouagadougou)
Do traditional authorities such as chiefs, councils, customary rules and practices or spiritual leaders contribute to peacebuilding in socio-political and violent conflicts in Africa, or to what extent do they exacerbate or even initiate these conflicts? This was the key question addressed at the MIASA outreach conference held at the Institute of Sciences on Societies (INSS-CNRST) in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, from 30 November to 2 December 2023. The conference was convened by Dr Susann Baller as MIASA Director Germany, Dr Seidu Alidu from the University of Ghana, Dr Sarah from the Philipps University in Marburg, Prof Ludovic Kibora from the INSS-CNRST, Prof Augustin Loada from the Centre for Democratic Governance (CGD) in Ouagadougou and Dr Marko Scholze, the MIASA Conference Coordinator from the Goethe University in Frankfurt. The conference attracted a great deal of interest in Ouagadougou, as Burkina Faso has been embroiled in a violent conflict with Islamist groups for years, which has affected the entire Sahel region. The fact that more than 360 applicants responded to the call for papers was further evidence that this topic is currently at the forefront of research for scholars from Africa, Europe and North America.

The 35 participants (17 of whom were women) came from Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Togo, South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Germany, Romania, Sweden, Canada and the USA. Academics were joined by representatives of traditional institutions and civil society.
The presentations covered a wide range of topics, highlighting the plurality of traditional institutions, legal aspects, and communicative and performative strategies of peacebuilding. Special attention was given to the role of women in peace processes. In addition to the presentations, a round table with representatives of the ECOWAS Women’s Network for Peace, the West African Network for Peace Building (WANEP), a local association promoting peace at the community level, a former Minister of Reconciliation and a village chief provided invaluable insights into the daily practice of peace initiatives. In addition, a World Café format provided an opportunity for scientific exchange across disciplines and language barriers.

The papers showed that the question of whether traditional institutions contribute to or exacerbate conflict is highly contextual and varies over time and space. A key factor is their legitimacy vis-à-vis different actors, such as local communities or the state. Another important finding of the conference was that traditional institutions are becoming more important in areas of violent conflict, such as the Sahel, where the state is absent. In these cases, however, the strategies of local actors tend to focus on the management of violence rather than on actual peace-building. In other cases, scholars have highlighted the important role of spiritual leaders and customary courts and practices in social cohesion. Interestingly, although women are rarely traditional leaders themselves, several contributions emphasised their role as counsellors, working more in the background of local conflicts.
The conference showed that research on traditional institutions by scholars from Africa is also influenced by current debates on the decolonisation of knowledge production in science, which has led to a renewed interest in these institutions, some of which have existed since pre-colonial times, while others were invented during or after colonial rule. The event was widely covered by the media in Ouagadougou and served to increase the visibility of MIASA in Burkina Faso, but also among scholars from all parts of Africa.

OpenEdition suggests that you cite this post as follows:
Marko Scholze (January 25, 2024). Conference: The Role of Traditional Institutions for Promoting Sustainable Peace in Africa (Ouagadougou). Merian Institute for Advanced Studies in Africa - Blog. Retrieved January 21, 2026 from https://miasa.hypotheses.org/2613



