West African chiefs will wield political influence

Significance

This caps years of rivalries over the kingdom’s succession in which families and political parties manoeuvred behind different candidates. Links between traditional authorities such as the Baoule kingdom and national level politics are present across the region, with chiefs playing critical electoral, religious and social roles, among others.

Impacts

• Chiefs may play important roles as regional intermediaries when formal diplomacy breaks down, as between Niger and its neighbours.
• Growing outcry over past and present forms of slavery, for example in parts of Mali, could challenge chiefly authority.
• Customary authorities may wield considerable influence in the development of cultural heritage policies.