The Refugee Law Project recently held a workshop with a number of civil society organisations (CSOs) and key stakeholders to discuss transitional justice and national reconciliation in Uganda. This report sheds light on the discussions held in that event. Many of the CSOs committed to working together in the future and acknowledged the power of numbers in regards to regional and national dialogue toward sustainable peace.
The CSOs have recommended that a transitional justice policy for the country cannot be developed without serious consultation and meaningful local input. They urged the Justice, Law and Order Sector to promote a national reconciliation framework in tandem with the proposed civil society draft bill and ensure that transitional justice mechanisms in Uganda are victim-centred, and the scale is national but with local participation.
Key Findings:
- Many CSOs working within the transitional justice framework are unaware that they are working toward sustainable peace on a national level.
- Because of the violent history of post-independence Uganda, truth telling within the country as means to reconciliation is of great importance. CSOs have a crucial role in this process.
- The government has been ineffective in bringing about reconciliation, causing people to lose faith in their leaders following years of unmet promises.
Recommendations:
- CSOs should form a coalition to strengthen efforts on transitional justice and the National Reconciliation Bill, starting at the local community level.
- CSOs need to train and be trained on how to better build the capacity of their communities.
- CSOs should advocate for better government support of victims. Additionally, an assessment for victims is needed. More CSOs dedicated to working with victims are needed, especially to help those suffering from untreated wounds.
- Traditional justice institutions should mediate and engage in the transitional justice process. CSOs should advocate for inclusion of these traditional mechanisms in national reconciliation efforts.
- The government needs to be actively engaged in promoting and practicing the rule of law, especially in addressing issues of corruption and land and resource-based conflicts. It should discourage land fragmentation without mapping and land titles. It should also promote equal access to the resources and their benefits.
- CSOs should actively encourage greater tolerance among the different tribes and promote peaceful coexistence.
