![[Uganda] A woman constructs a new home for her family in an internally displaced persons’ (IDP) camp in Alero District in northern Uganda, August 2006. With 2 million civilians displaced by the 20 years of civil war, many of them are now eager to begin](https://assets.thenewhumanitarian.org/s3fs-public/styles/responsive_large_2x/public/images/200682513.jpg.webp?itok=dj4dtF-a "Many new homes are far from healthcare providers")
To most of the world, the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) is a notorious rebel group accused of committing mass murder, mutilations, rape, abductions, conscripting child soldiers and forcing minors into sex slavery over two decades.
To people in northern Uganda, the rebels - who have agreed a cessation of hostilities with Kampala effective Tuesday - should be forgiven, in line with the Ugandan government’s amnesty to the rank and file of LRA fighters, as well as the leadership, if they renounce violence.
"This amnesty is a very good option," said Simon Lakwonyero, a resident of Alero displaced persons' camp in Gulu district. "For 20 years the government failed to protect the people, the war persisted but still it was the civilians who suffered most."
To Lakwonyero, the Acholi community, which has borne the brunt of the violence, should be allowed to use its own justice system, known as Mat Oput, which provides for restitution and reconciliation.
Grace Anena, a 16-year-old former LRA captive, who is recovering from bullet wounds sustained in 2004 during a clash between the LRA and the Ugandan army, however believes the amnesty should only be extended to Joseph Kony, the LRA leader, if he confesses that he committed crimes. "If he accepts that he abducted [people] and committed atrocities, he should be forgiven. If he refuses to acknowledge his mistakes, he should be tried," she added.
Patrick Kweyo, a 48-year-old father of four, whose son, Simon, was abducted from a village in Gulu district on his way to school in 1999, expressed optimism about the amnesty, saying it could enable his son to come back home. "I like to believe that he is still alive, despite the horror stories I have heard from those who returned. Nothing would give me more joy than to see him again," said Kweyo.
The chairman of the Amnesty Commission, Peter Onega, also argues in favour of allowing the Acholi traditional justice system to take its course, despite indictments issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Kony and four of his commanders.
"The amnesty idea originated in Acholi where the rebels were killing their own people. The people came up with this idea of amnesty and up to now they still uphold the idea of amnesty," said Onega.
"They thought that if amnesty was extended, the people who feared they would be prosecuted would be able to come back and the conflict would end. Of course they find themselves in tricky situation, because the [rebels] are their own people. If our children are in the bush and we were asked if we would give them amnesty if they came home, most likely we would say, 'let my child come back'.
"The situation is further complicated by the fact that most of these people were taken against their will, abducted, then indoctrinated. In the first place, society should be blamed for failing to protect them. We have a duty to protect our own people. If we fail to protect them and they fall prey to such elements then we are the ones [responsible]," he added.
Onega said that while the commission was more interested in finding a lasting solution to the conflict in northern Uganda, the ICC wanted to prosecute perpetrators of the violence. This, he added, put the Ugandan government in an awkward situation, having itself invited the ICC to investigate the LRA’s culpability in war crimes.
"The government is party to the ICC statute. The government took the trouble to make a reference to the ICC. The ICC came and carried out preliminary investigations and found sufficient evidence to prosecute and has come up with warrants. Now it is the same government telling the ICC to hold on a little. It presents a very difficult situation because it would mean the government is backing out of its international obligations.
"However, if you look at the situation on the ground people are really suffering, people are crying, the victims themselves are saying, ‘We don't care so long as the war ends immediately. The trial of one person or five people in The Hague is not going to help end our war immediately'.
"The military approach has taken [a] long [time] and has not ended the war and people are rather sceptical. If you took Kony to the ICC, tried and convicted him, the ICC is going to impose life sentences - they talk in terms of 20, 30 years. A man who has been living in the bush under very difficult and harsh conditions will find conditions very nice in prison where he will be well looked after. For an ordinary Acholi it will not be a kind of punishment at all," said Onega.
Walter Ochora Odoch, the resident district commissioner of Gulu and a strong proponent of the traditional conflict resolution method, described the ICC indictments as "paper warrants", saying the international tribunal was unlikely to succeed in its efforts to have the LRA commanders arrested. "People have suffered for 20 years and we now have an opportunity for peace, let us not lose [it]. Among the Acholi the culture of forgiveness has been there for thousands of years," he said.
jn/mw/eo
To people in northern Uganda, the rebels - who have agreed a cessation of hostilities with Kampala effective Tuesday - should be forgiven, in line with the Ugandan government’s amnesty to the rank and file of LRA fighters, as well as the leadership, if they renounce violence.
"This amnesty is a very good option," said Simon Lakwonyero, a resident of Alero displaced persons' camp in Gulu district. "For 20 years the government failed to protect the people, the war persisted but still it was the civilians who suffered most."
To Lakwonyero, the Acholi community, which has borne the brunt of the violence, should be allowed to use its own justice system, known as Mat Oput, which provides for restitution and reconciliation.
Grace Anena, a 16-year-old former LRA captive, who is recovering from bullet wounds sustained in 2004 during a clash between the LRA and the Ugandan army, however believes the amnesty should only be extended to Joseph Kony, the LRA leader, if he confesses that he committed crimes. "If he accepts that he abducted [people] and committed atrocities, he should be forgiven. If he refuses to acknowledge his mistakes, he should be tried," she added.
Patrick Kweyo, a 48-year-old father of four, whose son, Simon, was abducted from a village in Gulu district on his way to school in 1999, expressed optimism about the amnesty, saying it could enable his son to come back home. "I like to believe that he is still alive, despite the horror stories I have heard from those who returned. Nothing would give me more joy than to see him again," said Kweyo.
The chairman of the Amnesty Commission, Peter Onega, also argues in favour of allowing the Acholi traditional justice system to take its course, despite indictments issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Kony and four of his commanders.
"The amnesty idea originated in Acholi where the rebels were killing their own people. The people came up with this idea of amnesty and up to now they still uphold the idea of amnesty," said Onega.
"They thought that if amnesty was extended, the people who feared they would be prosecuted would be able to come back and the conflict would end. Of course they find themselves in tricky situation, because the [rebels] are their own people. If our children are in the bush and we were asked if we would give them amnesty if they came home, most likely we would say, 'let my child come back'.
"The situation is further complicated by the fact that most of these people were taken against their will, abducted, then indoctrinated. In the first place, society should be blamed for failing to protect them. We have a duty to protect our own people. If we fail to protect them and they fall prey to such elements then we are the ones [responsible]," he added.
Onega said that while the commission was more interested in finding a lasting solution to the conflict in northern Uganda, the ICC wanted to prosecute perpetrators of the violence. This, he added, put the Ugandan government in an awkward situation, having itself invited the ICC to investigate the LRA’s culpability in war crimes.
"The government is party to the ICC statute. The government took the trouble to make a reference to the ICC. The ICC came and carried out preliminary investigations and found sufficient evidence to prosecute and has come up with warrants. Now it is the same government telling the ICC to hold on a little. It presents a very difficult situation because it would mean the government is backing out of its international obligations.
"However, if you look at the situation on the ground people are really suffering, people are crying, the victims themselves are saying, ‘We don't care so long as the war ends immediately. The trial of one person or five people in The Hague is not going to help end our war immediately'.
"The military approach has taken [a] long [time] and has not ended the war and people are rather sceptical. If you took Kony to the ICC, tried and convicted him, the ICC is going to impose life sentences - they talk in terms of 20, 30 years. A man who has been living in the bush under very difficult and harsh conditions will find conditions very nice in prison where he will be well looked after. For an ordinary Acholi it will not be a kind of punishment at all," said Onega.
Walter Ochora Odoch, the resident district commissioner of Gulu and a strong proponent of the traditional conflict resolution method, described the ICC indictments as "paper warrants", saying the international tribunal was unlikely to succeed in its efforts to have the LRA commanders arrested. "People have suffered for 20 years and we now have an opportunity for peace, let us not lose [it]. Among the Acholi the culture of forgiveness has been there for thousands of years," he said.
jn/mw/eo
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
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