Mutual complicity, state irrelevance, and restorative justice: Dagbon’s future in dire need of reciprocal royal forgiveness

ABSTRACT This article is a phenomenological account of the grievances that the two royal gates openly express as the main issues that have cumulatively shaped the conflict and which may decide the future contours of the conflict. It relies on the findings from the qualitative interviews conducted with the key protagonists of each gate, their sympathizers, and the custodians of the kingdom. Having acknowledged the intractability of the conflict and its complications, it explains the study’s methodology and the colonial roots of the conflict. The article also analyses how the post-colonial state mismanaged the Dagbon crisis with its centralist intrusions. Moreover, it reviews the literature on restorative justice highlighting its conceptualisation, dimensions, relevance, status vis-à-vis the criminal justice system, and its challenges in conflict resolution. Also, it explores the core grievances of the two royal gates in the light of cultural interpretations and the apparent contradictions. Furthermore, while it investigates the prospects of a traditional dispute resolution mechanism in a bid to restore justice and set the kingdom on the path of sustainable peacebuilding, it questions the excitement that accompanied the 2019 instalment of a new Yaa-Naa and warns about the dangers of a politically motivated conflict settlement that may backfire.