HYBRID PEACE GOVERNANCE AND AFRICAN TRADITIONAL CONFLICT RESOLUTION MECHANISMS: RECLAIMING INDIGENOUS PATHWAYS FOR SUSTAINABLE PEACE

Abstract

This study explores the persistent challenges of communal conflict across Africa and argues for a culturally grounded alternative to conventional, state-centric peacebuilding models. Drawing on the theoretical lens of the Hybrid Peace Governance Framework, the research underscores the critical role of African traditional conflict resolution mechanisms such as Rwanda’s Gacaca courts, Uganda’s Mato Oput, Somalia’s Xeer, and South Sudan’s Pallo in fostering sustainable peace. These indigenous systems emphasize restorative justice, communal healing, and consensus-building, offering accessible and locally legitimate alternatives to Western legal paradigms. While these approaches possess significant adaptive capacity and social legitimacy, the study also critically engages with their limitations, including issues of gender exclusion, political manipulation, and enforcement capacity. The Hybrid Peace Governance Framework is presented as a viable solution that bridges traditional and modern systems, fostering complementarity, mutual accountability, and local ownership. Employing a qualitative research methodology grounded primarily in secondary sources, this study offers a comprehensive analysis of both the theoretical underpinnings and empirical applications of hybrid peacebuilding across the continent. Ultimately, it argues that a context-specific, inclusive, and participatory integration of indigenous and formal institutions provides the most promising pathway toward sustainable conflict resolution in Africa.