PEACE PROCESSESS IN ALAVANYO AND NKONYA AREA

ABSTRACT This thesis explored the peace process in the Alavanyo-Nkonya area. The main objectives were to examine the nature of the peace process in the Alavanyo-Nkonya area; the actors in the peace process; the conditions militating against the peace process and the measures that are needed to achieve a positive peace in the AlavanyoNkonya conflict area. The thesis employed Saunders’ (1999) Public Peace Process and multi-track diplomacy approach as a theoretical framework to understand how various professional and community groups are involved in the peace process. The data were collected primarily through qualitative methods; observation and interviews. In all, a total of 15 interviews were conducted with people distinctly involved in the peace building process using the Snowball and purposive sampling techniques. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. From the analysis, the study found that the peace process has a checkered history beginning from local peace setters taking the initiative through the traditional and formal courts. Later it became a public process involving track one actors (Formal State agencies - Commissions, Committees, the District Assembly and the Regional Coordinating Council), and several civil society and community groups including professional mediators, faithbased organizations, youth and women groups. The principal conditions militating against the peace building process in the conflict area were identified to be peddling of rumours which created new escalations, inadequate funds and logistics for convening committee meetings and workshops, interference from conflict beneficiaries, ethnic and political interference from various actors. The study concludes that community ownership of the peace building process is the key principle that can support the building of a positive peace.