Conflict Resolution: A Case Study of the Nkonya-Alavanyo Conflict in Ghana

Abstract

This study examines the persistent failure of mediation efforts in resolving ethnic conflicts in Ghana, using the protracted Nkonya-Alavanyo land dispute as a case study. Drawing on Azar’s Protracted Social Conflict (PSC) theory, this research analyzes why mediation mechanisms have consistently failed to resolve this century-old conflict. Through secondary data analysis and case study methodology, the findings reveal that mediation failures stem from multiple interconnected factors, including political interference, inadequate stakeholder engagement, cultural insensitivity in conflict resolution approaches, a lack of enforcement mechanisms, and insufficient attention to underlying structural inequalities. The study contributes to conflict resolution literature by identifying specific barriers to successful mediation in ethnic conflicts within the Ghanaian context. It offers implications for improving conflict resolution mechanisms in similar post-colonial societies.