UGANDA

COMPENDIUM OF CONFLICTS IN UGANDA
Third, and concurrently with the above points, participants supported
the development of a national transitional justice policy, emphasizing
that all future justice measures should be applied in a consistent,
transparent and equitable manner throughout the country. This
requires creativity in the development of a policy framework that
acknowledges the difficulties of integrating local, regional and
national justice demands and processes.
Specifically, this challenge includes defining how formal prosecution
and traditional justice may complement one another to satisfactorily
meet demands for accountability. Additionally, transitional justice
advocates must attend to the concerns raised by opponents of
traditional justice and ensure that these processes are gender
sensitive and otherwise compatible with international human rights
standards. Furthermore, in order to realize a comprehensive national
transitional justice framework, policymakers must resolve the
outstanding question on the future of amnesty in Uganda.
Further, participants described a vision of social justice and focussed
on socioeconomic rights when asked what constituted justice to them.
They identified impacts of conflict on the individual, community and
regional level as major obstacles to peace and justice. For this reason,
many participants prioritised the need for reparations over a range of
other transitional justice mechanisms.
Finally, the NRTJ Audit exposed the overwhelming need for institutional
reform in several sectors of Ugandan society, from the highest levels
of Government to local institutions, all of which are essential for the
adequate implementation of transitional justice mechanisms.
In sum, these conclusions provide important insights into current
perceptions of the state of peace and justice in Uganda. They highlight
citizens’ perspectives and priorities regarding the development and
implementation of a transitional justice process in Uganda, so that
Uganda may finally achieve sustainable peace, justice, reconciliation
and development as envisaged in the National Development Plan and
Uganda’s vision 2040.
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