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Northern Uganda has long been the site of a long and desperate war with enormous humanitarian consequences. It is also a place where a very contentious debate has erupted on the relationship between peace and justice, and whether priority should be given to the first arrest warrants of the International Criminal Court unsealed in October 2005, or to other forms of justice.

The Center conducted its first assessment of the situation in Northern Uganda in March 2005. In April and May 2005, the Human Rights Center (HRC) at the University of California, Berkeley, in partnership with the ICTJ, conducted a survey in Northern Uganda, interviewing more than 2,500 Ugandans on their personal experiences of the nearly 20-year conflict and their opinions on how peace and justice should be achieved. In July of that year, the Center and the HRC released "Forgotten Voices," a report on the survey results that drew attention to the views of ordinary Ugandans. The report was one of the first studies of its kind to be conducted in the midst of an ongoing conflict.

In December 2007, the ICTJ, in partnership with the Berkeley-Tulane Initiative on Vulnerable Populations, conducted a survey in Northern Uganda as a follow up to the 2005 report. The research involved interviews with more than 2,800 Ugandans on their personal experiences of the 21 years of conflict in the region, and their opinions on how accountability and reconciliation should be achieved. 

The report, entitled "When the War Ends," found extremely high level of exposure to traumatic events including killings, abductions, mutilations, and sexual violations. Despite the terrible suffering they continue to endure and the immediate needs that respondents expressed for peace and healthcare, the study found that more than two-thirds of the respondents wanted to see some form of accountability for the crimes committed. In an apparent shift from 2005, more people expressed a willingness to sacrifice formal justice for the sake of peace if it came down to deciding between the two.  This is likely due to the situation of ongoing peace negotiations in Juba, Sudan.  In addition, a majority indicated that they wanted the opportunity to speak publicly about the abuses they had suffered, and wished for the establishment of a written historical record of the conflict. The report urged national and local Ugandan authorities and the international community to work together to develop an integrated and comprehensive strategy for peace and justice in Northern Uganda.

The consequences of Uganda's conflict, particularly in terms of vulnerable parts of the population such as children and youth, are far-reaching. In late 2005 and early 2006, ICTJ Senior Associate Marieke Wierda acted as an advisor to the MacArthur Foundation in the establishment of a trust fund to assist war-affected youth and children on issues ranging from education and vocational training to human rights and justice.

The ICTJ has also sought to contribute to capacity-building on transitional justice issues. In March 2006, the ICTJ held a stakeholder's discussion on transitional justice in the North, partnering with Gulu NGO Forum and the Liu Institute for Global Studies. In January 2007, the ICTJ partnered with Refugee Law Project in a seminar aimed at academics from Uganda and the region on Teaching Transitional Justice. Several prominent activists in Uganda have attended the ICTJ's Cape Town program. ICTJ Staff Marieke Wierda, Abdul Tejan Cole, Samar Al-Bulushi, Richard Bailey, Blaz Gutierrez, Olivier Kambala, and Kelli Muddell were all involved in these efforts.

In the summer of 2006, new peace talks were embarked upon between the Government of Uganda and the Lord's Resistance Army, hosted and mediated by the Government of South Sudan. The ICTJ is monitoring these developments closely and is in discussion with the various actors involved on justice issues. In February 2007, the ICTJ co-hosted a series of discussions with the Royal African Society, the LSE and other actors on the role of the ICC in Africa.  The conference report was compiled into a book, called "Courting Conflict? Justice, Peace and the ICC."  Additionally, ICTJ attended a conference on national reconciliation organized by Makerere University in February 2007.

In June 2007, the ICTJ participated alongside the Gulu District NGO Forum and Justice and Reconciliation Project in a workshop hosted by the Ker Kwaro Acholi aimed at sensitizing the parties at Juba to international, domestic and local concerns for justice.  The ICTJ also participated in the public consultation process following the conclusion of the Framework Agreement on Justice and Accountability in August.  In January 2008, the Center partnered with the BBC World Service Trust to offer training for Ugandan journalists on reporting about justice issues.   In the coming year, the ICTJ will seek to continue its programs in terms of technical assistance to actors directly involved in the justice and reconciliation debate.

Simultaneously, the Center has advised the ICC on issues regarding victims in Northern Uganda, including on the implementation of a public outreach strategy. The ICTJ has also joined many public discussions on the complex issues prevalent in Northern Uganda, including the tensions between peace, justice, and humanitarian considerations.

For background information on Uganda, click here.

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(Updated July 2008)