Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Conflict Resolution among the Ibibio of Nigeria

1997; University of Chicago Press; Volume: 53; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1086/jar.53.4.3631242

2153-3806

Daniel A. Offiong,

African history and culture analysis

Relying on knowledge from active personal involvement in community matters between 1977 and 1993, the author, an Ibibio community leader, describes and analyzes conflict resolution among the Ibibio. The article argues that belief in ancestor spirits, the political importance of the elders and their crucial role as the intermediaries between the ancestors and the living, and the Ibibio belief in the supernatural powers of mbiam (oath) promote conflict resolution and social control in general. Comparison of conflict resolution in official courts and in the elders council reveals that the latter has advantages over the former because it is holistic. The article also shows that the informal court system in Ibibio is similar to those in other parts of Africa and demonstrates that modernity and tradition are not necessarily polar opposites.