http://dx.doi.org/10.7592/FEJF2015.62.gebregeorgis DISCURSIVE DEPICTION OF CUSTOMARY CONFLICT MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES IN SELECTED AFRICAN PROVERBS Mehari Yimulaw Gebregeorgis Abstract: The objective of this study is to explore how proverbs of traditional African societies contribute to depicting the communities’ confict prevention and confict management principles. To this end, proverbs collected from different parts of Africa, mainly Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Republic of Congo, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Ethiopia were analysed using socio-semiotic approach to discourse studies and interpretive analysis. The fndings of the study show that the proverbs of traditional African societies are instrumental in depicting the societies’ confict prevention and confict management principles. Together with the ‘prevention is better than cure’ doctrine, taking communal responsibility, transparent truth-fnding, participatory negotiation, win-win solution, and reconciliation and restoration of social harmony are among the traditional African confict management principles that are portrayed through different African communities’ proverbs. Keywords: confict, prevention, proverb, reconciliation, societies INTRODUCTION Confict, which goes back to the origin of human beings, is “a relationship between two or more parties who have or think that they have, incompatible goals” (GIZ 2013: 13). It is exhibited at national, communal, and familial levels. Societies, groups, and individuals enter into disputes to control scarce resources such as power, money, and land. As long as individuals, groups, and societies continue to have socially structured clashes of interests and values, confict remains part and parcel of human life. To illustrate this fact, the Ethiopians say: “Even the legs of one person get the friction of a quarrel” (Gira ena qegn egirm ygachalu) (ibid.: 19). Despite its being an experience common to all races, there can be differences in the forms and levels of confict in societies and in answer to them they have developed their respective confict resolution mechanisms. The mechanisms can be formal or/and informal justice systems. Because they are culturally ap- http://www.folklore.ee/folklore/vol62/gebregeorgis.pdf