Patterns and theories of traditional resurgence in tropical Africa

Abstract

Africa has witnessed a rise in tradition-based political action since the beginning of the 1990s. Rather than a mere return to hypothetical pre-colonial forms in the wake of the weakening of the African state, this resurgence appears to be the opportunistic by-product of several other trends that have characterized this period, including democratization, economic crisis, and globalization. Despite this second-fiddle role, traditional revival still makes its own contribution to the reconfiguration of power in Africa, whether by its incorporation in, its challenge to, or its disengagement from the state.