Revise Amnesty Act - Irish envoy

By Hillary Nsambu and John Agaba                                  

Irish Ambassador to Uganda Ann Webster has urged stakeholders to critically evaluate whether Uganda still needed the Amnesty Act if all their concerns and fears are addressed in the transitional justice policy draft that is in its final formation.

However, the envoy said that there was need for the Government to expressly come out with a policy on the categories of persons who are to go through the transitional justice policy process and how it would be handled at national and local levels.

The envoy was reacting to remarks by Internal Affairs minister, Hillary Onek, who had said that they were harmonizing the Amnesty Act that originally looked at only the LRA combatants and had loopholes in many issues that needed to be addressed anew.

Onek, who was opening the consensus building workshop on the draft of the national transitional justice policy in Kampala, said that the law will be holistic in that it would embrace all groups that are opposed to the Government other than looking at only LRA as it was in the elapsed Amnesty Act.     

However, Webster emphasized that it is important to address wrongs committed by all parties and; it would be good if the executive arm of the Government could publicly express commitment to the transitional justice body, particularly to fully participate in the truth-telling processes and reparation, which the citizens are eagerly waiting for.

The envoy also suggested that the criminal jurisdiction of the traditional justice institutions has to be clearly defined either in the policy or in the other framework to be developed.

“Thus, as we look at traditional justice within transitional justice, it is imperative for all of us to reflect broadly on how best traditional justice mechanisms can be strengthened and capacitated to enhance its compatibility with human rights principles,” the envoy emphasized.

She encouraged the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the Judiciary to carry out more outreaches, so that the citizens are more informed of the formal processes, the International Crimes Division and are encouraged to participate.

The envoy noted that now that the provision for blanket amnesty elapsed many families of abducted children were insecure about the fate of their children who had not yet returned.

If, as the DPP had repeatedly informed the stakeholders that only the 10 top LRA leaders would face the wrath of the law through formal prosecution, a lot of unrest and insecurity would be wiped out if the rest were handled through other systems, such as truth-telling or traditional justice that needed to be properly inculcated into the minds of the public.

The envoy, who is the head of the development partners of the Justice Law and Order Sector (JLOS) reiterated their continued contribution to the comprehensive transitional justice policy in promoting and enjoyment of sustainable peace and reconciliation among the war affected population particularly in the northern and eastern Uganda.