Conflict Resolution by Elders in Africa: Successes, Challenges and Opportunities

Francis Kariuki* Abstract Colonialism impacted the social, cultural, political and economic aspects of Africans in the most fundamental and radical way. With colonialism, a western legal tradition premised upon an Anglo-American jurisprudential thought was imposed on Africans. African values, norms and beliefs, which provided the normative and undergirding framework for conflict resolution, were severely weakened, undermined and disregarded. However, the resilience of African justice systems across African States, illustrates that they still occupy a central place in the world of dispute resolution in Africa. This explains the move among African State towards recognizing them in laws and policies. The paper assesses the institution of elders in conflict resolution. Using examples across the African continent, the author examines some of the successes and challenges faced by elders, and opportunities offered by the institution in enhancing access to justice amongst African communities.