Tag Archives: truth-seeking

Missing Stories: Truth-seeking Processes in Northern Uganda, Policy Brief No. 3

By Roza Freriks and Lino Owor Ogora

JRP-IJR Policy Brief No. 3

This policy brief explores the continued relevance of truth‐seeking as an instrument of transitional justice and peace building in Northern Uganda. Over two years after the dissolution of the Juba Peace Talks in November 2008, several questions remain unanswered regarding how truth‐seeking might promote accountability and reconciliation in Northern Uganda.

From November 2010 to February 2011, the Justice and Reconciliation Project (JRP), in collaboration with the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR), organized a series of consultations with victims of conflict in Northern Uganda, entitled ‘Enhancing Grassroots Involvement in Transitional Justice Debates.’ The consultations, held in the Acholi/Lango, Teso, and West Nile sub‐regions, focused on truth‐telling, traditional justice, reparations and gender justice within the context of Uganda’s transitional justice processes.

This policy brief captures victims’ views on truth‐seeking in Northern Uganda. During the consultations it became evident that victims across Northern Uganda want to understand what exactly took place during the conflict and why. They insist that only after learning the truth will they be able to forgive and reconcile with the perpetrators. This policy brief is intended to inform relevant stakeholders of the need for a truth‐telling process in Uganda, the challenges such a process presents, and propose a way forward for the Ugandan truth‐telling process.

To download the full brief, click here.

JRP and IJR have embarked on a partnership to collect victims’ views on justice

Enhancing Grassroots Involvement in Transitional Justice Debates

This report, “Enhancing Grassroots Involvement in Transitional Justice Debates: A Report on Consultations held with victims and civil society organizations in West Nile, Acholi, Lango and Teso Sub-regions in Northern Uganda,” is the product of consultations by JRP and the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR).

Between November 2010 and February 2011, the Justice and Reconciliation Project (JRP) in collaboration with the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR) organized a series of consultations with victims of the conflict in northern Uganda. These consultations were entitled “Enhancing grassroots involvement in transitional justice debates” and covered the themes of truth telling, traditional justice, reparations and gender justice.

The consultations were aimed at complementing the countrywide consultations by the Justice, Law and Order Sector (JLOS) on truth seeking and traditional justice. The key findings presented in the report are a synthesis of the victims’ voices on what their views are on truth seeking, traditional justice, reparations and gender justice.  

This report is aimed at informing JLOS and other relevant stakeholders working on issues pertaining to victims in northern Uganda about the needs of these victims, as expressed by the individuals themselves.

To access the full report, click here.