annual report 2011
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Victims of conflict and war are often the most vulnerable grouping in transitional societies, yet in the quest for post-conflict justice many peace processes have a disproportionate focus on the fate of the perpetrators at the expense of restitution to the victims.
Platforms to engage and debate policy processes Through its long-standing partnership with the Gulu-based JRP in northern Uganda, the IJR has worked to promote inclusive approaches to achieve longer-term justice for those who have suffered as a result of the protracted conflict. At the same time, it seeks to explore potential models for healing and, ultimately, reconciliation that could accompany this search for victimcentred justice. As such, consultations with the theme ‘Enhancing Grassroots Involvement in Transitional Justice Debates in Northern Uganda’ took place in the Acholi/Lango, Teso and West Nile regions during 2010 and 2011, which were inordinately affected by the conflict. The aim of the consultations was to elicit the specific postconflict needs of victims who bore the brunt of the war between the LRA and the Ugandan People’s Defence Force (UPDF). As an outcome of the consultations, a report highlighting the plight of victims and affected communities as well as a series of four policy briefs articulating their needs have been published. These were specifically aimed at informing the policy-making process initiated by the government of Uganda through the JLOS on transitional justice. The reports and policy briefs have been disseminated to relevant Ugandan and international stakeholders and will be presented to the JLOS in 2012.
Transfer of transitional justice knowledge Victims of conflict and war are often the most vulnerable grouping in transitional societies, yet in the quest for post-conflict justice, many peace processes have a disproportionate focus on the fate of the perpetrators at the expense of restitution to the victims. In the run-up to the February elections in Uganda, the IJR partnered with the JRP in Gulu (run by two alumni of the IJR Fellowship Programme) to organise a series of knowledge- and informationexchange sessions with victims of the northern Ugandan conflict. After more than two decades of conflict, the government, victims and civil society are still grappling with techniques to implement transitional justice mechanisms which can assist the impoverished
Participants of the victim’s consultations in northern Uganda.
Anna-Grace Nasika is a 52-year-old woman living in Amuria in north-east Uganda, but she appears much older than her actual age. It is clear that life has been harsh. As we sit in a room for the interview, I can tell from her demeanour that she was willing to share as much as she can. Nasika is a victim of repeated sexual violence and is attending a victims’ consultation to share her story. Her needs are somewhat simply stated, yet complicated to address. She recounts stories of brutal sexual violence perpetrated against her by rebels and armed soldiers, an experience that has also left her HIV-positive. Anna-Grace sought reparations from the government through the local council in the Teso region, but her efforts have been in vain. She says that the sub-county councillors do not take her plight and those of other genderbased violence victims in the area very seriously. Asked how she thinks her needs can best be addressed, she solemnly replies: ‘A meeting with President Museveni himself.’ She reckons that because she is from the same Baganda tribe as the president, he may empathise with her. She further gives an analogy of a pack of rabid dogs that attack an innocent bystander. There is no use asking the dogs for redress for the harm caused and neither will the dog-handlers sufficiently address the issue. Redress for the harm caused should come from the owner of the dogs. This is why she wants to personally meet President Yoweri Museveni. He was/is in effective control of the UPDF that violated her, instead of protecting her and her family from the LRA attacks. (Interviewed by an IJR staff member)
and traumatised people in the northern part of the country to deal with their losses and take charge of their individual and collective future. The Enhancing Grassroots Involvement in Transitional Justice debates in Northern Uganda consultations were attended by victims, victim support groups and local NGOs working in the realm of transitional justice. Each event consisted of presentations on truth-telling, reparations, traditional justice and gender justice by JRP and IJR staff, and breakaway sessions allowed for participants to exchange conflict-related experiences and the resultant needs. The proceedings were documented in the form of a widely circulated report, as well as a series of policy briefs aimed at government and civil society.