MPs appeal to Gov't on war injustice

By Pascal Kwesiga                        

MPs and civil society actors have appealed to Government to expedite the formulation of a policy on transitional justice to promote judicial and non-judicial measures in addressing the past human rights violations in northern Uganda.

Transitional justice refers to judicial and non-judicial measures implemented in order to redress legacies of human rights abuses such as criminal prosecutions, truth telling and reparations programs especially in areas emerging from war situations.

According to the greater northern parliamentary caucus that brings together legislators from Lango, Acholi, West Nile, Bukedea, Teso and Bunyoro sub regions that were affected by the LRA war, the absence of the policy to guide administration of transitional justice has complicated the efforts of the government and civil society actors in rebuilding the communities.

The caucus chairperson, Sam Okuonzi, noted that its disturbing that the policy that was agreed up during failed peace talks between the Ugandan government and LRA rebels conducted between 2006 and 2008 has never been put in place.

The policy, he noted, is urgently needed to coordinate the disjointed efforts of the government, civil society movement and the development partners.

The Government and international and local non-governmental organizations have implemented various programmes aimed at helping the communities affected by the two-decade long civil in northern Uganda to rebuild their lives and promote peace and reconciliation.

Kony, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) along with his top commanders, called for peace talks with government after he was dislodged from the region by UPDF in 2006. However, the talks that began in Juba in 2006 under former South Sudan vice president Riek Machar’s mediation collapsed in 2008 when Kony refused to sign a peace pact.

Scores of people have reportedly been killed and others maimed during the LRA insurgency in northern Uganda, South Sudan, DRC and Central African Republic where Kony and his rebels are currently hiding.  

“I know the government is working on the policy but the process needs to be sped up because we cannot have proper reparations and reconciliation programs without it,” Okuonzi added.

He was speaking during a press conference ahead of a conference on transitional justice at the Agency for Cooperation and Research in Development offices in Kampala. The conference is slated for Thursday.