Pathways to Peace: Amnesty Commission's role in resettling, rebuilding lives

YUMBE - The fall of President Idi Amin’s government in 1979 was the start of what would turn into a costly conflict for Northern Uganda and West Nile in particular. 

Records show that the Ugandan Army from independence to 1979 was dominated by people from northern Uganda and West Nile in particular. 

But when Idi Amin’s government was overthrown in 1979, these soldiers were rendered jobless and took refuge in the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire) and the Sudan. 

As a result, life was never the same for them. In the subsequent years, a succession of fighting groups emerged comprised of soldiers who served in the army during Amin’s regime. 

In 1980, the defeated remnants of the army launched attacks on Uganda territory with the aim of driving the Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA) out of the region. 

Following its defeat, the Former Uganda National Army (FUNA) brewed yet another group of fighters including the Uganda National Rescue Front (UNRF) headed by Brig. 
Moses Ali and the West Nile Bank Front (WBF). When the National Resistance Movement (NRM) took over power in 1986, the UNRF, under Ali reached an agreement with the NRM under which a number of officers of UNRF were absorbed in the National Resistance Army (NRA). 

But not all the groups reached similar agreements with the government. The Uganda National Rescue Front II (UNRF II) under Brig. Ezaga and Uganda National Freedom Army broke off. 

The UNRF II, maintained bases in Sudan with the support of the Sudan government. Its troops continued to operate along the Sudan-Uganda border and Moyo-Arua road. 

The leadership of the group later changed to Maj. Gen. Ali Bamuze. After several years of continued fighting, the NRM government then engaged the leadership of the UNRF II led by Bamuze in a peace process that culminated into several multi-prolonged contacts for a negotiated peaceful solution to the armed conflict in the West Nile region.

The victims of the conflict and reporters being trained in life skills in Maracha district.

Role of Amnesty Commission 

The Amnesty Commission played a crucial role in the disarmament, demobilization and resettlement (DDR) of UNRF II combatants and other rebel groups in West Nile/ northern Uganda. 

The commission’s primary objective was to facilitate the reintegration of former combatants into civilian life, promoting peace and stability in the region. In 1999, the Government came up with a deliberate policy and effort to peacefully end the conflict that persisted. 

Reports indicate that this approach towards peace and reconciliation followed requests by some Ugandans for an amnesty for all persons involved in war hostilities in various parts of the country. 

Consultations across the country showed that the majority of Ugandans supported the idea of amnesty. 

Consequently, the Amnesty Act was passed in January 2000. The Act provides for a blanket Amnesty for all Ugandans who have been engaging in war or armed rebellion against the Government since 1986.

Ceasefire agreement 

“Among the provisions of the agreement was a safe haven for over 3,700 combatants and collaborators. 

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) camp at Bidibidi in Yumbe district was selected as the point for encampment and documentation for all UNRF II combatants where we spent over three months conducting the registration,” says Ambassador. 

Lt. Col (Rtd). Obitre Gama, the Demobilisation and Resettlement Team (DRT) leader for West Nile. He recalled that at the signing of the ceasefire agreement on June 15, 2002 in Kuru Yumbe district, the Government and UNRF II agreed that the Amnesty Commission (AC) should chair the peace talks “The exercise managed by the AC chairman, Justice P.K.K Onega was very successful. With support from development partners and prominent elders, the peace team that convinced the UNRF II fighters to abandon armed struggle comprised elders in Yumbe district under their organisation called AROPIC led by Colonel Nasur Ezaruku (deceased), local and religious leaders of all denominations,” said Gama. 

He added that the peace agreement was signed on December 24, 2002 in Yumbe. 

He disclosed that, although the primary source of funding for AC was the Government, many development partners played key roles in demobilisation, resettlement and reintegration of the UNRF II and another combatant in West Nile region. 

The key development partners included, Danish International Development Agency, (DANIDA), UNDP, the government of Ireland, World Bank/MDRP special project, UNDP Human security programmes and African Union for Capacity building among others. Others included civil society organisations like the Participatory Rural Action for Development (PRAFORD), Trans-Cultural Psycho-social Organisation (TPO), and Give Me Chance (GMAC) Action Against Hunger (AHH), Refugee Law Project, and Christian Counselling Fellowship among others.

The reporters who benefited from training in tailoring in 2023 at DRT Arua.

Promotion of amnesty law 

After the peace pact, the commission continued to educate the public about benefits of the law. 

Through various platforms, the public was informed about issues related to: demobilisation, resettlement, and reintegration of reporters in the community in respect to the Amnesty Act 2000. 

With aggressive awareness about amnesty law and promotion of the Amnesty Act a total 26,390 have been granted amnesty with close to 10,000 from the West Nile region. 

During and after the armed conflict in northern Uganda, teams from Amnesty Commission visited Kenya, Sudan and DR. Congo to promote amnesty with some success and contacts with key partners in these countries have remained. 

Juba peace talks and agreement came partly because of amnesty commission’s efforts. Dialogue with reporters in areas with a high number of returnees in turn convinced their colleagues to renounce rebellion. 

The Amnesty law has been translated from English to languages like Luganda, Runyoro-Rutooro ,Runyakole, Rukiga, Lusoga, Luo, Lugbara, Ateso, Lukhonjo and French among others.

Reintegration efforts 

A number of reporters have benefitted from the livelihood intervention spearheaded by Amnesty Commission and DRT Arua. Francis Guma, the focal person for the reintegration programme for DRT Arua confirmed that over 1,400 reporters have so far benefited from the different livelihood interventions meant for the UNRF II reporters. 

“In West Nile we have so far trained 1,476 reporters and victims in various skills and some of the areas we focused on are agricultural management, metal works, motor vehicle repairing, tailoring, carpentry, bricklaying, bicycle repairing, and counseling and support services among others. 

“In Arua, we have trained 1,234 reporters in agricultural management,10 in metal works, eight in motor vehicle repairing,15 in tailoring, 80 in hairdressing, 74 in carpentry, 50 in counselling and support services and eight in dialogue and reconciliation,” said Guma.

Beneficiaries speak out: 

• Hilder Eyotaru, 28, a resident of Ayibu village, Laura parish in Ullepi and a benefi ciary of the programme, said this was her first time attending training on apiary farming. She pledged to put into practice the skills acquired.

•  Jerome Onyadri, 65, Nyio village, in Madi-Okollo district. 

He owns 10 local beehives and has recently undergone training in apiary management. With plans to upgrade to modern beehives, he expressed his gratitude for the timely training, saying: “I have been practicing this farming using my rudimentary knowledge. This training came at the right time. It will enable me to expand my business and adopt modern methods.

•  Hellen Adiru, 54 from Adiru Apiary group in Ayibu village, Laura parish, Ullepi sub-county 

Adiru has already reaped big from apiary farming since 2017 and is able to pay for school fees for her children.

“This training is essential for us ex-combatants and victims who have never benefi ted from any government programmes. Producti on capacity of our group is likely to increase because the honey business is lucrative in this region,” Adiru said.