Uganda
Press release issued: 29th January 2008
Study Recommends More Focus on Victims in Peace Process
People in northern Uganda are ready to return to their homes and willing to accept former fighters of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) back into their communities, according to a new study. They also want to know the truth about what has happened since the conflict ignited in 1986, and they want accountability for wrongdoing.
The report, entitled “When the War Ends,” has been released by Tulane University and the University of California–Berkeley, with support from the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) earlier this month. Researchers of the Berkeley-Tulane Initiative and ICTJ completed a broad population survey in eight districts of northern Uganda from April to June 2007 to understand views on peace, justice and reconstruction among the people most affected by the war. A total of 2,875 adults in camps, villages and municipalities throughout the districts were interviewed using a standardized questionnaire. The research follows Forgotten Voices, an earlier population-based study conducted in 2005.
The people of northern Uganda have suffered terribly in the course of the conflict between the LRA and the Uganda People’s Defence Forces since 1987. They have experienced displacement from their homes into refugee camps (86 percent), abduction by the Lord’s Resistance Army (37 percent), or violence or loss of property or assets at the hands of both parties (85 percent). Today, a fledgling mediation effort led by the regional government of southern Sudan at Juba with the discreet support of the United Nations offers hope of a negotiated end to the conflict, although the negotiations have been stalled for months.
“As the peace process in Uganda unfolds, the Government of Uganda and the international community should incorporate the priorities expressed by the survey respondents into a multi-pronged strategy that promotes justice, peace-building, socioeconomic development and poverty-reduction in northern Uganda,” said study author Phuong Pham, research associate professor at Tulane University. “Particularly, victim-oriented measures should be put more central in the ongoing debates of justice at Juba.”
When the War Ends shows that a majority of the respondents believed that peace could be achieved in northern Uganda, but that much must still be done to rebuild social infrastructure and livelihoods. Main priorities for the respondents in the survey were health care, peace, education for children, and livelihood concerns including food, agricultural land, money and finances.
Attitudes on what should happen in Northern Uganda in terms of justice remain widely divided. More than two-thirds of respondents said it was important to hold accountable those responsible for committing violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. On the other hand, a large majority also favoured amnesty, and showed willingness to compromise for the sake of peace. Over 90 percent supported the establishment of a truth commission. About 60 percent were familiar with the International Criminal Court, an independent, treaty-based court that tries persons accused of the most serious crimes of international concern. This was a significant increase over 2005, when only 27% had heard of the Court.
“Affected populations in the North are unlikely to agree on what is the best way to achieve both peace and justice,” said Marieke Wierda, Senior Associate at the ICTJ and head of its Uganda program. “What is essential is that those who were victimized are consulted as part of the decision-making process.”
For further information:
Marieke Wierda, Head of Uganda Program, ICTJ
Email: MWierda@ictj.org
