Tag Archives: Community Documentation

“We Can’t Be Sure Who Killed Us” Report Launch, 4 March 2011

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On March 4, JRP and our partners at the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) launched a new joint report titled, We Can’t Be Sure Who Killed Us: Memory and Memorialization in Post-Conflict Northern Uganda.

The event, held at Gulu’s Churchill Courts Hotel, was attended by more than 60 members of civil society and representatives from massacre survivor associations in West Nile, Teso, Acholi and Lango.

The report examines the role memorials have played in Uganda’s transitional justice (TJ) process. Addressed to community members, conflict survivors, policymakers, and donors, it reviews existing memorials and offers recommendations to those seeking to initiate new memorial activities. It is based on research conducted in the Acholi and Lango sub-regions, yet reveals post-war insights into memory and memorialization relevant to the greater North and any society in transition.

To view this report, click here.

 

West Nile Advocacy Training, February 2011

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From February 1-3, JRP’s Community Mobilization and Documentation teams organized an advocacy training workshop for members of the West Nile Kony Rebel War Victims Association (WNKRWVA) in Jershem Hotel in Arua town. The training included participants from Arua, Nebbi, Zombo, Adjumani, Moyo, Yumbe, Koboko and Maracha districts.

On February 4, the Association put the skills obtained in the training to good use. In a meeting facilitated by JRP, WNKRWVA met with local leaders to create awareness about the challenges they are undergoing in pursuing compensation and reparations from the Government of Uganda for atrocities they suffered throughout the conflict.

A statement written by JRP in consultation with the Association was presented to local leaders by the victims. Local leaders present included the Deputy LCV of Arua, the Deputy LCV of Nebbi, and candidates who were standing for elective positions in Arua.

Since this meeting, the group has continued to seek avenues to advance their advocacy demands to their leaders. They are currently undergoing registration of their members in a bid to solidify their demand for reparations. They have opened official files in the office of the LCV and the DISO in Arua district to update local government about their activities and maintain a conducive working relationship.

The skull of a victim rests at the Barlonyo massacre site, 2006

We Can’t Be Sure Who Killed Us: Memory and Memorialization in Post-Conflict Northern Uganda

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The skull of a victim rests at the Barlonyo massacre site, 2006
The skull of a victim rests at the Barlonyo massacre site, 2006

A Joint Report by JRP and the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ)

With funding from the Austrian Development Cooperation

Written by: Julian Hopwood

 This report examines the role memorials have played in Uganda’s transitional justice process. Addressed to community members, conflict survivors, policymakers, and donors, it reviews existing memorials and offers recommendations to those seeking to initiate new memorial activities. It is based on research conducted in the Acholi and Lango sub-regions of northern Uganda, involving the eponymous ethnic groups.

 To access the report, click here

Side one of our English campaign card. You can download the printable PDF of the English and Luo cards below.

Campaign to Put TJ on the Election Agenda

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In order to ensure that victim’s voices and interests are at the forefront of contestants’ minds in the upcoming 2011 Ugandan elections, we have designed a comprehensive campaign to put transitional justice on the election agenda.

Side one of our English campaign card. You can download the printable PDF of the English and Luo cards below.
Side one of our English campaign card. You can download the printable PDF of the English and Luo cards below.

Internationally, transitional justice, or TJ, is increasingly recognized as an important tool in resolving post-conflict instability and inter-communal tensions. However, in many circles, especially among politicians and policy-makers, TJ still remains underestimated and largely misunderstood. Yet, in a country like Uganda, marred by a history of violence and unrest, citizens and leaders informed of the merits of TJ mechanisms are vital to healing the wounds of war and ensuring the sustainability of peace—locally, regionally, and nationally.

At the Justice and Reconciliation Project (JRP), we work with grassroots communities to explore and engage on issues of justice and reconciliation and seek opportunities for war-affected communities to share their thoughts, ideas, and  concerns with stakeholders and TJ actors. As Uganda prepares for the upcoming election season and reflects on the leadership of the last five years, we see an immense opportunity for war-affected communities to influence the direction that the justice and reconciliation debate takes in this country, whilst informing aspiring politicians of the political and social value of prioritizing transitional justice.

In order to ensure that victim’s voices and interests are at the forefront of contestants’ minds in the upcoming 2011 Ugandan elections, transitional justice must be prioritized on the election agenda. To do so, war-affected communities must demand that their concerns be addressed and acknowledged by candidates and parties contesting for seats in local and national government.

Moreover, this election needs candidates and parties that commit to sustainable peace in Uganda and that requires not only forward-looking planning and development, but also stakeholders who address past abuses and feelings of injustice. It is our belief, guided by the ideas of the communities in which we work, that votes this election should therefore be in favor of those who will commit themselves once elected to:

  1. Accountability for past abuses: That they support a fair, transparent and balanced national transitional justice system that includes judicial investigations and prosecutions and traditional justice mechanisms, so those responsible for human rights violations are held accountable.
  2. National reconciliation through truth-telling: That they support provisions for truth-telling both at the national and community-levels, so that forgiveness, healing and reconciliation can take place in Uganda.
  3. Reparations for war victims: That they support a national reparations policy to fairly administer reparations to war victims in Uganda. There is need for coordination of all compensation efforts to ensure that reparations schemes across the country are consistent and that victims are consulted throughout the process.
  4. Memorialization: That they commit to undertake symbolic measures to promote remembrance, healing and closure nationally and among their constituencies.
  5. Gender justice: That they support efforts that challenge impunity for sexual and gender-based violence and ensure women and children’s equal access to redress of human rights violations.
  6. Structural reforms: That they support efforts that transform state institutions from instruments of repression and corruption to instruments of public service delivery and integrity, with a transparent and independent military, police and judiciary.

Throughout the region, and unfortunately much of the world, there is still a profound lack of understanding of how transitional justice can be effectively implemented. But by mobilizing war-affected communities to demand their grievances be addressed and acknowledged, we are providing communities and the country at large a space for reflection, debate, and analysis of the issues.

This strategy to encourage voters to hold candidates accountable matches our general approach to community involvement: the most successful activities will engage and empower communities to act for themselves. By reminding voters to ask their candidates where TJ is in their manifestos and then offering six general action points to guide their advocacy, we frame these communities’ arguments into a unifying demand that provides strength in numbers.

For comments related to this campaign or to get involved, please e-mail info@justiceandreconciliation.com.

To download the campaign cards in English, click here.

To download the campaign cards in Luo, click TJ Election Card [LUO].

To download an article on the campaign by Lindsay McClain, click here.

“Arua- Enhancing grassroots involvement in transitional justice debates,” JRP, 23 November 2010

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 23, 2010

Enhancing grassroots involvement in transitional justice debates

GULU / ARUA / SOROTI— Today the Justice and Reconciliation Project (JRP), in partnership with the South Africa-based Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR), commences a series of grassroots consultations in northern Uganda to explore local perspectives on transitional justice.

The first consultation, to be held November 24-25 at Slumberland Hotel in Arua Town, will engage local-level, grassroots persons directly affected by conflict to ensure that their opinions are not left out of the wider discussions. Thirty participants, comprising primarily of victims and victims’ groups and religious and cultural leaders from across the sub-region, will convene to share views on truth-seeking, traditional justice, community reparations and gender justice.

Subsequent consultations will be held in Gulu/Lango from December 1-2 and Teso sub-region from December 8-9. The findings will be presented at a regional meeting early next year and will work to influence policy recommendations for the implementation of key transitional justice mechanisms in the region.

These consultations are part of a larger JRP/IJR project, titled “Enhancing Grassroots Participation in Transitional Justice Debates,” which aims to intensify local advocacy and consultation of victims in northern Uganda around issues of transitional justice ahead of the 2011 presidential and parliamentary elections. Over the next three months, JRP/IJR will hold extensive consultations with a broad range of stakeholders, including grassroots communities, JLOS (Justice, Law and Order Sector), CSOs and local government leaders to gain a clearer sense of how justice needs can be met.

Media are invited to attend the opening and closing sessions of each of the regional consultations. For more information, email info@justiceandreconciliation.com or call Lindsay McClain, JRP Communications Officer, at +256 (0)471433008 or +256 (0)783300103. Or, visit us on the web at www.justiceandreconciliation.com or www.ijr.org.za.

 

About JRP

The Justice and Reconciliation Project (JRP) promotes locally sensitive and sustainable peace in Africa’s Great Lakes region by focusing on the active involvement of grassroots communities in local-level transitional justice. They are based in Gulu, northern Uganda.

About IJR

The Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR) promotes for reconciliation and socio-economic justice in Africa through strategic partnerships and carefully constructed interventions. They are based in Cape Town, South Africa.

To download this press release, click here.

Mukura Documentation, 2010

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From September 6-10, members of JRP’s documentation team visited Mukura sub-county, Kumi district, Teso sub-region, to meet with members of the community and document the 1989 Mukura massacre.

During this time, we interviewed members of civil society, government officials, survivors of the massacre, and victims’ families, allowing us to gain insight into many perspectives on the massacre.

According to our findings, on July 11, 1989, the 106th Battalion of the NRA (former name of the national army) rounded-up 300 men suspected of being rebel collaborators against the NRA regime and incarcerated them in a train wagon.

There is little evidence to suggest that most of these men were anything other than innocent civilians. By the time they were released, 87 had suffocated to death. (This figure and some other details are highly contested, showing the need for a credible truth-seeking process into the event).

On June 10, Ugandan Finance Minister Syda Bumba announced that families of victims of the Mukura massacre would receive a total of 200 million Ugandan shillings, as set aside in the 2010/11 national budget.

This information and more gathered during our September visit to Mukura will be compiled into an upcoming report to document the massacre.

West Nile Documentation, October 2010

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From October 18-21, JRP’s Research, Documentation and Advocacy Team paid another visit to the West Nile sub-region, visiting Arua town. There, JRP met with representatives of the West Nile Kony Rebel War Victims Association and various other victims from the region to learn about their experiences during the conflict and post-conflict struggles.

Though largely overlooked by most NGOs and the Government, the suffering of West Nile over the last two decades has proved to be serious. While Acholi sub-region formed the epicenter of the war, West Nile suffered its own share of violence over the last thirty years, as various rebel groups have operated in the region.

Many of the survivors we interviewed lost virtually all their means of sustenance in ambushes on the Kampala-Arua Road, and still nourish the trauma of the abductions that oftentimes followed. The West Nile Kony Rebel War Victims Association has made a series of attempts to draw attention to their case, but this has not yet materialized in substantial governmental support. Occasionally government representatives have paid compensation to individual victims, but a transparent and inclusive policy is still lacking.

Though this naturally frustrates the members of the association, the participants expressed a strong desire not to give up their fight for accountability and reparations. They took a very positive stance towards working together with JRP. JRP will therefore continue documenting their experiences and assist in their future advocacy and mobilization efforts.

Lukodi Documentation, September 2010

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From August 30 to September 4, JRP documented the Lukodi massacre that took place on May 19, 2004, in Lukodi, Bungatira sub-county, Gulu district. During this time, our documentation team interviewed more than 20 community members living in Lukodi who either had knowledge of or were survivors of the massacre.

Preliminary findings indicate that Lukodi, like many other massacre sites in northern Uganda, continues to suffer the long-term effects of the conflict, with victims in dire need of psychosocial support and peace-building interventions.

The data gathered during this period is currently in the write-up stage and will be released in the form of a JRP field note by the end of the year.

“In Memory of Mukura Victims,” Daily Monitor, 11 July 2010

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“In Memory of Mukura Victims,” Daily Monitor, 11 July 2010

http://www.monitor.co.ug/Magazines/-/689844/955242/-/np3613/-/index.html

 By Lino Owor Ogora

 

When Finance Minister Syda Bumba read out the 2010/11 national budget on June 10, she announced that Shs200 million had been set aside for families of the victims of the 1989 Mukura massacre in Teso. The government should be applauded for realising that victims deserve some honour in the form of compensation.

However, this announcement calls for careful planning by all stakeholders, as this new compensation initiative appears to have several flaws, such as lack of victim consultation and the absence of a holistic plan that caters for community reconciliation and justice. These failings could lead to long-term consequences for the victims in Mukura and could establish a dangerous precedent for future reparations policies

The village of Mukura is located in Kumi District. According to a witness who was present at the time of the massacre, “On July 11, 1989, the 106th Battalion of the NRA (former name of the national army) rounded-up 300 men suspected of being rebel collaborators against the NRA regime and incarcerated them in a train wagon.”

Little evidence
There is little evidence to suggest that most of these men were anything other than innocent civilians. Trapped in the crowded train wagon, trying not to trample on one another, the men struggled to breathe, and by the time they were released after more than eight hours, 87 had suffocated to death. (This figure and some other details are highly contested, showing the need for a credible truth-seeking process into the event). The dead were hastily interred in a makeshift mass grave but their remains were later exhumed and re-buried in a memorial mass grave constructed by the government.

Our witness testified that President Museveni visited Mukura in October 1989 and promised a compensation of Shs2 million for each deceased person. In December 1989, Shs800,000 out of the Shs2 million was paid out to the families of all the 87 deceased men as a partial payment. This money was to be used by the recipient to buy a bicycle, an ox-plough and a pair of oxen. Since then, the victims have waited for the balance of Shs1.2 million; it did not show any signs of materialising until the recent announcement by finance minister. This move, positive as it may be, falls short in several ways

Questions remain
First, according to recent interviews held with civil society in Mukura, the government has not meaningfully consulted with the victims about their needs and the form that reparations should take. Several questions remain unanswered. How was the figure of Shs200 million derived? Is it a fulfilment of the long-awaited balance which was promised in 1989? When we visited Kumi town on June 21, our inquiries of government and civil society failed to produce any definitive answers, and the victims’ families continue to remain in the dark. The government needs to shed light on this.

Secondly, it is not known whether the new initiative will holistically address the range of needs of victims of mass atrocities. While different communities might require different processes, commonly-accepted transitional justice measures include accountability for perpetrators, truth seeking, reconciliation and memorials. Specifically: Truth-seeking and accountability: What has become of the commanders in charge of the 106th battalion that perpetrated the massacre?

Were they acting on their own initiative or based on ‘orders from above’? If so, then who is the most responsible in the chain of command?
It is alleged that a commission of inquiry was set up by the President in 1989, but its findings were never published. Furthermore, acknowledgement of the massacre should be accompanied with accountability.

Memorialisation: The government has already constructed a memorial secondary school in Mukura and a memorial mass grave at Okunguro Railway Station where the remains of the victims were buried. This memorial lacks connectedness to the victims and their families, and has fallen into a state of disrepair, having been overrun by natural vegetation and ants.

No consultations
Furthermore a building which was reportedly supposed to house a public library lies incomplete. Victims and community members should be consulted to see if the memorials should be refurbished, or different memorials created.

Thirdly, it is also important to make sure that reparations are not used as a political gambit. Because the compensation for Mukura survivors was announced in the run-up to the 2011 elections, skeptics have begun to doubt the governing party’s motives.

Unless the government pronounces itself on this issue, this seemingly good cause may be interpreted as an attempt to silence the victims and ‘buy’ their votes ahead of the 2011 elections.

It is therefore incumbent upon government to make the Mukura question a success, so that the results set a blueprint for the much needed policy on reparations in Uganda.

This lesson could help the case of northern Uganda where it is claimed that the office of the presidential advisor on northern Uganda has been actively engaged in registering victims for future reparations.

What criteria
This would go a long way in answering the question of, ‘what criteria should be used to register victims, and also provide insights on what a reparations policy should consider’. These questions, plus many others would also be useful in the case of Luweero Triangle and Western Uganda, where the government is also planning to make reparations.

There is need for coordination of all these efforts to ensure that reparations schemes across the country are consistent. There is also a need to consult with victims before any definite decisions are reached in order to fully involve them in the process.

Mr Ogora is team leader, Research and Advocacy, Justice and
Reconciliation Project, Gulu

Achol Pii Mass Grave, May 2010

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JRP traveled extensively across Pader and Kitgum districts during May. Our team visited communities in Corner Kilak, Tyer-Achol pii and Omot in Pader, and Palabek Kal, Palabek Ogili and Ayuu Alali in Kitgum. The photos from this set were taken at the Acholi Pii mass grave.

The primary objectives of these visits were 1.) to meet with members of the communities and discuss significant events that took place there during the conflict and 2.) to discuss whether or not the communities want such events to be documented.

JRP learned that there is an eminent need for documentation in the communities we visited. Many significant events took place there during the conflict but little or nothing has been officially documented. In whole, the communities value documentation as a tool that will preserve the memory of what happened and to prevent the repetition of such atrocities in the future.