Tag Archives: statement

Standing together with the community of Atiak

Laying a wreath at the memorial prayers for the Atiak massacre of 1995 on 20 April 2017. Credit: Patrick Odong/JRP.
Laying a wreath at the memorial prayers for the Atiak massacre of 1995 on 20 April 2017. Credit: Patrick Odong/JRP.

As longstanding partners with the community of Atiak, we at the Justice and Reconciliation Project felt it was important to join the commemoration of the 22nd anniversary of the Lord’s Resistance Army’s massacre here today.

As an organization, we envision a just and peaceful society and believe that it is only by involving and empowering grassroots communities that this can be achieved.

We also believe in the use of commemoration as an important tool. It can be used to help people heal and reconcile. It can also be used to advocate for justice as well as redress for victims and the wider community.

As such, we see the theme of “moving towards economic empowerment amidst torture” as chosen for today, as a call for us all to continue to work together as community members, local and national government, non-governmental organisations and other partners.

As we remember the loss of our loved ones on 20 April 1995, we ask that we all continue to join hands to work for justice and reconciliation. JRP remains committed to support justice, accountability and reconciliation efforts of conflict affected people and we shall always be there for and with victims.

Statement regarding OTP Notice of Intended charges

On 24 September 2015, a redacted version of a “Notice of intended charges against Dominic Ongwen” by the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) at the International Criminal Court (ICC) was made public. This notice outlines the charges the OTP intends to bring against alleged Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) commander Dominic Ongwen and includes several additions to the seven charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity previously brought against him.

Following this development, the Justice and Reconciliation Project (JRP) issues the following statement:

JRP especially welcomes the announcement by the OTP of intended charges related to sexual and gender-based crimes. Accountability for sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) has often been difficult to secure in criminal proceedings in cases at both the ICC and the International Crimes Division of the High Court of Uganda (ICD). With the support of JRP, the members of the Women’s Advocacy Network (WAN), have advocated since 2011 for justice, acknowledgment and accountability for gender-based violations inflicted upon them during the conflict. These intended charges provide recognition of the work of the WAN as well as an opportunity for renewed discussion on accountability for SGBV during conflict.

JRP also welcomes the clarification of the nature of the charges to be levelled against Dominic Ongwen, particularly in relation to his alleged role in contributing to the implementation of the Lukodi massacre of 2004. Prior to this notice, the nature of the allegation of Dominic Ongwen’s involvement in the Lukodi massacre was subject only to speculation among the affected community in northern Uganda. Clear information about proceedings at the ICC is vital in creating a sense of ownership and involvement towards this case and the Court for northern Ugandans.

JRP sees the extension of the intended charges against Dominic Ongwen to atrocities committed in Pajule, Odek and Abok as an opportunity for more communities to be involved in discussions on accountability. Victims in many places across northern Uganda, such as Odek, have often expressed feelings of dismay at not being involved in transitional justice processes. Incorporating these communities in processes such as these is key in providing acknowledgment of these communities’ conflict-experiences.

Finally, JRP welcomes the focus that these intended charges bring to questions of accountability for atrocities, and in particular towards SGBV crimes, committed by both LRA and government forces during the conflict in northern Uganda. This is an opportunity to draw  attention to avenues for and the continued need for redress for victims and survivors of conflict in northern Uganda.

A community member during the Mucwini massacre memorial service, 2010

Statement by the Mucwini Massacre Memorial Committee: In conjunction with the 8th Annual Mucwini Massacre Memorial Service

A community member during the Mucwini massacre memorial service, 2010
A community member during the Mucwini massacre memorial service, 2010

In the early morning hours of 24 July 2002, our villages awoke to the bloodied corpses of 56 innocentmen, women and children. The massacre was a deliberate and ruthless act of retaliation by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) after they claimed that one of our own members who had been abducted escaped with their gun. In cold blood, the rebels rounded up our community and randomly selected some of our friends and family members to be murdered by axes, hand hoes, machetes and logs. Some women among us were painfully forced to participate in clubbing to death their own children.

Eight years later, the person or persons responsible for the Mucwini massacre remains controversial, unresolved and unacknowledged. The massacre divided us and further fuelled longstanding conflict between the Pubec and Pajong over a piece of land where both parties claim ownership. As a result, the relatives of the alleged perpetuator still live in the camp, as they have been denied access to the said land. While the mediation team headed by the Rtd. Bishop McLeord Baker Ochola has tried to forge some kind of reconciliation among the alleged parties to this tension, most of us feel left out in the process as few families are being included. The families of the 56 people who died still live with immense trauma; psychosocial and physical difficulties; biting poverty; the burden of meeting the educational and basic needs of numerous orphans; and a generation of elderly who have no one to care for them, yet some have the responsibility to take care of orphans.

To access the statement, click here.

Young women perform traditional dances during an event in Gulu district, 2010

Pursuing Justice for Women and Children in Northern Uganda: Observations from the field

Young women perform traditional dances during an event in Gulu district, 2010
Young women perform traditional dances during an event in Gulu district, 2010

Initiatives to end violence often focus on ‘silencing the gun’ and bringing home largely male combatants. As a result, girls and women who were captured, raped, and forced into marriage and childbearing by armed groups remain largely unacknowledged and ignored. In this statement, we focus on the unique justice and reconciliation issues facing young mothers and their children in northern Uganda who have returned from captivity. We offer specific recommendations to ensure their holistic well-being and successful reintegration into society.

To access the statement, click here.