AFRICA INTERNAL BLEEDING
In fact Africans regarded conflicts as part of life and aspect of their cultural activities, which often showcased evidence of virility, responsibility and versatility. They were quite to understand the nature and fundamentals of conflict and its impact on societal development. Conflict therefore, is in the psyche of Africans and its perception often exhibited to make all and sundry vulnerable to the matrices of development.
Africa is the second largest continent in the Universe. It has existed from the very day of the universe`s creation. It underwent changes and revolution like any other continent that exist in this Earth planet. The settlement of man emerged in the very years of human evolution.
Traditions, Culture and customs likewise emerged in the very years of the beginning of human`s settlement; Even though these traditions looked alike/common but where different depending on the foundation of the clans.
The political status of Africans depended on Kinship, Chieftaincy, sultanism, and such alike kind of leadership. However, members of the society respected their traditional leaders and traditions generally and the surrounding society`s traditions. Such respect left Africans at peace position practice.
Previously, all Africans existed under sameness and were cohering in different social activities. The distribution of duties depended on Age and gender. All these activities were designed by traditional leaders and no misunderstanding occurred among Africans.
Ere the Political, Economic and technological development during the pre-colonial era in Africa, peace existed. But soon after the development of Political, Economic and technology among the African societies, conflicts started to emerge. Classes among the society members erupted, one society felt superior to the other hence Civil wars emerged. Such misunderstanding existed from the family members to the clan members. During this stint a society begun to count a male as the head of everything in the society. Being a point to stand at, a male became the ruler of the society and a family where by women were undermined.
Due to political era, the concern, care, love and unity existed among the society members (tribe members) only. Taboos made the tribe members fail to acculturate reasonably to avoid the misunderstanding between two different tribes. However, some of the civil wars which existed during the pre-colonial era in Africa aimed to measure the strong ness between different tribes.
In fact Africans regarded conflicts as part of life and aspect of their cultural activities, which often showcased evidence of virility, responsibility and versatility. They were quite to understand the nature and fundamentals of conflict and its impact on societal development. Conflict therefore, is in the psyche of Africans and its perception often exhibited to make all and sundry vulnerable to the matrices of development.
The conflicts that African society is facing recently have not just erupted from nowhere, but have their roots from ere. To point out them, includes:- economic factors, Political factors and believes.
Economic being a point of view, it has been found that conflict became inevitable in traditional Africa societies. This in a way justifies coser`s approach to the phenomenology of conflict even across cultural boundaries of the world, land encroachment, territorial dislocation, house sequestration, trade imbalance and non-payment of tributes or loans can be identified as the reasons of conflict origination in traditional African societies. Come to think of North Sudan and South Sudan conflict that exist to this stint, the main causative is land which is claimed by both countries to be the owners; what about Nigeria, Somalia etc. etc. recall of Kagera war where late J.K. Nyerere was not ready to loose the Mutukula (Misenyi) land the same Idd Amin was not ready to lose it too. What of the misunderstanding that exists between Tanzania Republic and Malawi?
From political point of view, it is obvious that, conflict in Africa became un-escapable. The royal throne competing especially when norms and customs were relegated to the throne. As of current, African leaders face hard time wrongly use their positions in Government to benefit their heart desires.
Previously it was named throne as of now it is the white house.. a huge number of African presidents face quarrels with their rules simply because they (presidents) use their thrones in wrong perspective of their ruled that`s why sometimes they are revoluted like how it happened in Libya.
However, the Chieftaincy being disappeared in one way but has been brought back in another way, where political parties decises of who to rule and how, this way a single/small group of people may rule the currently for a long stint under the game go and return.
Believes; no wonder that insult to the supernatural, breaking of communal taboo, teach of sacred sanctions and the defection of shrines or sanctuaries have been the derivatives of religious conflict in traditional African societies. Earlier on, it was indicated that the infractions of religious ethos often occasioned conflict between the Africans and their decities.The manifestation of such disaffection, and of course a anisomery, had titled the balance of relationship and power between the sacred and the profane.
Families; it is not in doubt that violation of women`s rights is primafacie linked to the deeply entrchced practices of discrimination of women in the context of African customary laws. However, women in African societies have become the victims of violations of rights such that: - land inheritance, freedom of expression and women personality has been stolen from them. An African woman is seen as a vulnerable organism that can not contribute anything to the development of the entire society but professionalized in marriage and domestic activities.
Breakdown of diplomatic relations between African societies which often led to inter-communal conflict and violence. It is also evidently that the inversion of territories led to the civil war among the African societies.
Tribalism; it is of no doubt that among the conflicts that exist in Africa emerge from tribal misunderstandings. The fact of maintaining the African traditional personality, ethos of respect and honor resulted in tribal wars. Recall of the war which situated in Nigeria in the 1967 between the Wafulani of North, Yoruba of west and Waigbo of East when General Yakubu Gowon was ruling the country. This and other examples evident that inter-tribal wars are still breaking African countries into parts.
Ways used to overcome these misunderstandings
Regardless the fact that African traditional societys fights were counted as one of the African traditions, still there existed different methods used to overcome such conflicts ranging from negotiation method, mediation method, Arbitration method, Adjudication method to reconciliation method.
From the point of view, negotiation was used to keep and maintain the mutual understanding between the African traditional societies wherever there occurred any sort of misunderstanding between two different societies. A lot of activities were carried out by the autochthonous group in traditional African societies which required and necessitated solidarity trust and confidence and credible display of wisdom and whims. The best of situation never came the way of individuals in traditional African societies without supportive dealings and bindings.
Notwithstanding the cumbersomeness faced by the interventionist process, mediation remained standing being the conflict resolution method among African traditional societies. Mediation entailed interceding and ensuring peaceful relations among the African traditional society.
By referring to the meaning arbitration is a method of dispute resolution involving one or more neutral third parties people who are usu, agreed to by the disputing parties and whose decision is binding. The arbital courts, tribunal and proceeding in Africa traditional society through the ages did exist. These adjudged a unique way of producing an arbiter who reached out to special decisions which the parties to the conflict had to submit themselves.
The nature of arbitration in African traditional societies did differ from the western arbitration process. However, the approach of the arbitrator to truthful disposition of decision was anchored on arbitral proceedings in traditional African societies. This process produced high levels of trust, confidence and mutual understanding among the African traditional societies.
The adjudicatory method of conflict resolution in African traditional societies was born out of their cultural heritage and inherent in their customs and norms. It had the determination of right or wrong sides conflicting situations. However, adjudicators were made out of honest set of people who respected the customs and norms; they had fear of supernatural and believed in the evidenced truth presented before them. The Yoruba is among the previous exampled traditional society which practiced this.
It is evidenced that, punishment was not considered as the ultimate rudiment of the conflict, instead it was desirable for correctional purposes and preventive measure against re-occurrences of such misdemeanor. The process of restoring peace among the African traditional societies did succeed in a wide way. It aimed to back the lost peace and unity among the traditional societies. It aimed at demonstrating of human face and upholding of good conscience and mannerism. Factually, reconciliation method of conflict resolution in traditional African societies had been addressed sufficiently well to demonstrate the ideals of social relations and mutual trust and confidence.
The intrusion of modern ways of solving conflicts has proved failure to some extent reasonably; the ways used to solve African conflicts were not made for the African continent resolver but for the western countries. It should be counted that, the solution of the problem is created out of the environment such problem has emerged. This evidences that, to solve African traditional misunderstanding the previous methods used must implemented in a modern way but not forsaking them. For example UN use force army to overcome the misunderstanding in Africa, ever she thought if bleeding can overcome bleeding? The fact that, she uses force to overcome force is the great mistake that she will ever make in its existence and it`s hard to obliterate the misunderstanding which exists in this universe.
Forsaking the African secrete societies like those of Sierra Leone, Yoruba and so on; creating hatrage among Africans against their own traditions and forcing them to adopt the western customs real kills Africa in walking situation.
As people say, beginning something failed to maintain doest prove failure but proves carefulness, competence and confidence towards it. Let the Africans, use their own ways of resolving the misunderstanding that exists, back their trusts to their own traditions and live in a way that they feel like. Just remember, life is like a dancer who either dances a dance in different and unfamiliar way and get injured and return home or recall dancing a dance in a way that is familiar of while the music is over/off.
I think it has arrived a time for the Africans to unite and rescue our continent from the disaster is facing currently, let us cohere and run our continent through our traditional ways.
God bless Africa.
This article has been prepared by Mr. Felix Lugeiyamu, the second year student at the Open University of Tanzania, doing the BA Mass Communication.
Email: flugeiyamu@gmail.com, flugeiyamu@yahoo.com
