The Mitigation of Electoral Violence and Conflict Management in Africa

Abstract

This article seeks to explore how in practice traditional leaders enforce the norms of peace and tolerance as a means of mitigating electoral violence and resolving electoral disputes. The existing institutional theories have failed to fully account for the nuances of disputed electoral outcomes in terms of the varying intensity of electoral violence in different national contexts. Hence, this study critically examines the ‘positive’ roles of centralised traditional authorities and shared norms (such as peace, harmony and tolerance) in accounting for the variations in the nuances of post-electoral violence. It demonstrates this type of mediation as a conflict transformation tool by examining the Ghanaian 1992 and Kenyan 2007 disputed presidential elections from a comparative perspective. Finally, it draws some important lessons for democracy promoters in their efforts to build sustainable democratic institutions, peace and stability in Africa.