Tag Archives: amnesty

“Amnesty is the price northern Uganda paid for peace in the region,” Daily Monitor, 4 Oct 2011

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“Amnesty is the price northern Uganda paid for peace in the region,” Daily Monitor, 4 Oct 2011
http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Letters/-/806314/1247450/-/10tmcoj/-/index.html

By Lino Owor Ogora

On September 22, the Constitutional Court ruled that ex- LRA commander Thomas Kwoyelo, was entitled to amnesty in line with Uganda’s Amnesty Act 2000. This ruling attracted mixed reactions from various sections of the public.

The question of whether or not to offer war criminals amnesty has always been controversial. It is a question that peacemakers around the world have had to grapple with. Many peace processes have been successful because of amnesty offered to perpetrators. In South Africa for example, amnesty was pivotal in ensuring that the leaders of the apartheid regime negotiated with and eventually handed over power to the African National Congress. It also encouraged many perpetrators who had committed war crimes to confess, which in some instances even led to the recovery of human remains which had been secretly buried. In West Nile, amnesty proved a critical factor in determining the surrender of the West Nile Bank Front II.

Likewise, in northern Uganda, amnesty is the price we have had to pay for peace. Amnesty in northern Uganda was so effective that it led to the surrender of many top commanders. According to the Amnesty Commission’s records, over 10,000 LRA combatants abandoned rebellion and were granted amnesty. Amnesty was even more critical given that the majority of the LRA army was composed of children abducted and turned into rebels. Kwoyelo falls into this category, having been abducted when he was only 15 years old.

But for many people, this part of Kwoyelo’s history does not matter. They feel he has to be punished for what he is now. While I agree that Kwoyelo must be held accountable, we should also keep in mind the circumstances surrounding him. The case of Kwoyelo is critical in ensuring that not all LRA fighters are viewed as a homogenous group of killers, which will enable us devise means of handling them on a case by case basis, a factor which was missing in Kwoyelo’s trial.

If it were not for amnesty, millions of people would still be living within IDP camps. Thousands more children would have been abducted, and even the Juba peace talks which ushered in the prevailing peace in northern Uganda would not have taken place.

It is not surprising that most of the people baying for Kwoyelo’s blood are those who live in comfort and safety outside northern Uganda. While such people may sympathise with victims, they do not understand the situation on the ground. If you lived in northern Uganda during the period of the insurgency, you would understand and appreciate the prioritisation of ‘peace first justice later’. It is because of this prioritisation that northern Ugandans were at the forefront of advocating amnesty as a crucial factor in ending the conflict.

Lino Owor Ogora,
Justice & Reconciliation Project, Gulu District

Timeline of Past Events (2006-2007)

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The following is a timeline of past events from 2006-2007 that JRP organized and/or participated in:

2006

  • Centre for Research in Women’s Studies and Gender Relations
    February 1, 2006
    JRP presents at Centre for Research in Women’s Studies and Gender Relations, University of British Columbia.
  • ‘IDEALaw’ Conference
    February 10-11, 2006
    JRP presents to the IDEALaw Conference, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia.
  • Northern Uganda Symposium Series
    March 2, 2006
    JRP is invited to participate in Northern Uganda Symposium Series, sponsored by the Human Rights Centre, University of California, Berkeley.
  • Workshop on Transitional Justice
    March 17-18, 2006
    JRP organized a workshop on transitional justice in Gulu, Uganda.
  • Liu Institute for Global Issues Seminar
    June 5, 2006
    JRP presents findings of its research in a seminar at the Liu Institute for Global Issues.
  • Uganda Lobby Day and Symposium
    October 9, 2006
    JRP speaks on justice issues at the Uganda Lobby Day and Symposium in Washington, DC.
  • ‘The Various Faces of Justice’ Symposium
    November 11, 2006
    Michael Otim presents on traditional justice at the ‘The Various Faces of Justice’ symposium at the University of Tokyo, Japan.
  • ‘The Search for International Justice’ Screening
    November 15, 2006
    The film, ‘The Search for International Justice,’ by Judy Jackson aired at the Liu Institute, followed by a panel discussion with Dr. Gerald Caplan, James Otto, and Honorable Betty Aol Ocan in Vancouver Canada.
  • ‘Advocacy, Peace and Justice in Northern Uganda’ Workshop
    November 16-17, 2006
    JRP organized a workshop on advocacy, peace and justice in northern Uganda at the Liu Institute for Global Issues.
  • Consultative Workshop with Acholi Chiefs and Elders
    November 18, 2006
    JRP holds a consultative workshop with Acholi chiefs and elders on justice in Gulu, northern Uganda.
  • Beyond Juba: Building Consensus on a Sustainable Peace Process for Uganda
    December 1-2, 2006
    JRP participates in the ‘Beyond Juba: Building Consensus on a Sustainable Peace Process for Uganda’ event organized by Refugee Law Project in Kampala.
  • Transitional Justice and Displacement in the Great Lakes Region
    December 3-5, 2006
    JRP participates in the ‘Transitional Justice and Displacement in the Great Lakes Region’ event organized by Refugee Law Project and ATJRN in Kampala.
  • Amnesty Commission Training
    December 6, 2006
    JRP presents in the ‘Amnesty Commission Training on Information, Counseling and Referral’ on traditional justice in Gulu. Click here for the concept paper.

2007

  • ‘Human Rights and Social Justice’ Conference
    F    ebruary 25-26, 2007
    JRP’s Erin Baines presents at the ‘Human Rights and Social Justice’ conference, University  of Winnipeg, on gender and justice.
  • ‘Failed, Failing and Fragile States’ Workshop
    March 7-9, 2007
    Erin Baines presents at the ‘Failed, Failing and Fragile States’ workshop, UBC on peace vs. justice.
  • Canadian Federation of University Women
    March 19, 2007
    Erin Baines presents to the Canadian Federation of University Women, Northern Vancouver, BC on gender and justice.
  • Youth Peace Actors Assembly
    April 11-13, 2007
    Lino Owor Ogora presents on traditional justice at the Youth Peace Actors Assembly, sponsored by the Foundation for Youth Transformation in Gulu, Uganda.
  • ‘Transitional Justice and Peace Negotiations’ Meeting
    April 16-18, 2007
    Michael Otim presents at ‘Transitional Justice and Peace Negotiations,’ hosted by the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs and the International Centre for Transitional Justice in Oslo, Norway.  Click here to read the presentation.
  • ‘Radio Wars: Breaking the Waves of Hate, Turning the Tide towards Peace’ Conference
    May 13-15, 2007
    Boniface Ojok presents paper entitled, ‘Amnesty Radio in Northern Uganda: Rhetoric and Reality’ at Radio Wars: Breaking the Waves of Hate, Turning the Tide towards Peace’ conference, held in Montréal.
  • Liu Institute for Global Issues Fundraiser
    May 30, 2007
    The Liu Institute for Global Issues holds a fundraiser to support war-affected young mothers in northern Uganda.
  • Towards a Common Understanding of Traditional, National, and International Justice Options: A Seminar for Agenda Item 3 (Accountability and Reconciliation) at Juba Peace Talks
    June 2, 2007
    JRP co-organized with ICTJ, and convened by Ker Kwaro Acholi, a seminar on Agenda Item 3 at the Juba Peace Talks in Juba, Sudan.
  • Truth-Telling and Verification Workshop With Local Stakeholders on ‘The Cooling of Hearts’
    June 15, 2007
    JRP held a verification workshop for our report ‘The Cooling of Hearts’ with stakeholders in Gulu before finalizing the document.
  • ‘Building a Future on Truth and Justice’ Conference
    June 25-27, 2007
    Michael Otim presents at Building a Future on Truth and Justice, a conference held in Nuremberg, Germany.
  • Lira Declaration on Agenda Item 3 of the Juba Peace Talks (Accountability and Reconciliation) by Cultural and Religious Leaders, Women and Youth from Madi, Teso, Lando and Acholi Sub-Regions
    August 11, 2007
    The Lira Declaration is the result of a consultation attended and signed by the leadership of traditional and religious institutions, including women and youth representatives in these institutions.
  • Northern Uganda CSO Declaration on Agenda Item Three of the Juba Peace Talks
    August 20-30, 2007
    Over 100 civil society organizations were involved in consultative meetings in the regions of Acholi, Lango, Teso, and West Nile to reach a common position on the ongoing consultations on Accountability and Reconciliation at the Juba Peace Talks.

Workshop on Transitional Justice

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The indictment of the top five rebel leaders has raised both fears and expectations, for how it might impact the Amnesty process, any future peace talks and possibly led to the capture and arrest of those deemed most responsible. In this context, questions and debate about the best way to pursue justice are extremely pressing in Uganda.

In order to begin to explore these questions in the context of northern Uganda, the Gulu District NGO Forum, International Center for Transitional Justice and Liu Institute for Global Issues convened a workshop among main stakeholders on March 17-18 at the GUSCO Peace Centre, Gulu. Participants included the Amnesty Commission (including its head, Justice Onega), the Ugandan Human Rights Commission (Commissioner Alero Omara), traditional leaders (including an opening by Rwot David Onen Acana II, Paramount Chief of the Acholi), religious leaders, NGO and civil society activists from across the country, women’s groups and youth leaders, academics from Gulu and Makarere, UN representatives (OHCHR and UNICEF), MPs, and others, including representatives from IDP camps in Kitgum, Pader and Gulu Districts.  Between 60 and 70 participants in total attended and momentum throughout the discussions was very high, with most sessions going over time.