Traditional Authorities in Africa. Resurgence in an Era of Democratisation

Abstract

Traditional authority is a distinguishing feature in the landscape of contemporary Africa. It remains important in organising the life of the people at the local level despite modern state structures. As a result, a large number of African countries have enhanced or formalised the position of their chiefs. At the same time, however, this resurgence of traditional authority coincides with the wave of democratisation across sub-Saharan Africa, and many question the desirability and legitimacy of tradiotional authority in modern forms of governance.