Community Based Reintegration of Former Youth Combatants

Community Based Reintegration of Ex-Combatants: A				camps where, unlike in the centers, they can not
Case Study Of The Lord's Resistance Army In				easily access free food, accommodation facilities,
Northern Uganda				luxuries like TVs and videos, which they used to
Muwonge J. Maxie				enjoy at the centers.
Human Rights, Peace and Development Worker and				â€¢ As such, it is usually very difficult for the
Researcher				FAPs from the reception centers to fit and resettle
Introduction				within these IDP communities. Some IDP camp
The specific context of any conflict, and the				members are not friendly to them. They call them all
differentiating dynamics therein, inform the processes				sorts of names as rebels. This traumatizes them
for resolving that conflict. In the case of northern				again.
Uganda Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) war, the				â€¢ Consequently, some of the FAPs who fail
nature and scope of commitments and interventions;				to fit into the communities run back to the reception
evolving political and security frameworks, vision and				centers, while others opt to stay in the major trading
objectives set by the various stakeholders in an				centers and towns within their respective districts,
attempt to end this twenty years insurgency are				where they do petty jobs like driving manual and
informed by the nature and dynamics of this war.				motor bikes carrying passengers who pay them,
Many studies have indicated the nature of the LRA				hence supporting their livelihoods.
war. The LRA rebels mutilate, abduct children, widely				Implication of the Juba Peace Talks on the
kill civilians, commit rape and other acts of sexual				Reintegration of FAPs
violence as well as crimes against property including				Generally the peace negotiations in Juba, after
though not limited to burning down civilians' huts,				several failed peace talk attempts, have largely been
destruction of vehicles, economic extortion and				viewed by the war stricken communities of northern
stealing food and medical stuffs.1 Although it is right				Uganda as the greatest opportunity for ending the
to argue that nature of LRA atrocities is synonymous				conflict through peaceful means. This sanguinity was
with other armed conflicts in Africa like the Darfur				raised largely due to the increased commitment and
insurgency in Sudan, the 1994 Rwandan genocide and				the desire by both the LRA and central government
other scenarios, in the case of the LRA, many of				of Uganda to find a peaceful end to the conflict,
those who have committed crimes against humanity				manifested through the signing of the Cessation of
are under coercion from their abductors. At the core				Hostilities Agreement (CHA). The success of the
of the internal organization of the LRA are the				peace talks in Juba is largely viewed as increasing the
abductees, mainly children and youths, who are				number of FAPs, mainly children and women returning
turned into porters, soldiers and wives.				to live with their families. This will likely create
Many of the LRA ex-combatants who for the				challenges for their community based reintegration
purpose of this paper will be referred to as Formerly				and resettlement. The author of this paper is aware
Abducted Persons (FAPs), considering that they				that at the time of writing this paper, the peace talks
were abducted and forced to commit atrocities				at Juba had stalled due to several counter
against their will, have over years escaped from				accusations between the LRA, GoU and Government
combat back into their communities. In many				of Southern Sudan under the auspices of the chief
instances, upon return from combat, the FAPs, due				mediator Reik Machar. For the purpose of this paper,
to their involvement in the violence against their				the author distances himself from interrogating the
community during the war, are portrayed as prone to				reasons for the stalling of the peace talks. It is his
violence and criminally inclined and summarily				felt desire like many other peace lovers of the world
perceived by members from the centrally war				that non violent solutions are reached to end this
affected communities as a menace in one form to				war. Considering that the hopes of the war
another. Such perceptions are premised on the bitter				communities were galvanized by the Peace talk's
realities. When the FAPs were abducted they were				success, he shares moral support with the advocates
coerced to commit an act of brutality, frequently				for successful peace talks until the signing of a
against a relative, thereby incriminating and				comprehensive peace agreement as expeditiously as
traumatizing them so that they are reluctant or				possible.
unable to return to their villages for fear of				Implication of the International Criminal Court on FAPs
accountability to their community and revenge from				Reintegration
those enraged as a result of losing their relatives.2				The ICC is the first ever permanent, treaty based
This paper describes the war situation in northern				international criminal court established to promote the
Uganda3 and the plight of the FAPs and investigates				rule of law and ensure that the gravest international
the various initiatives undertaken to ensure				crimes do not go unpunished. "The 1998 Rome
sustainable community-based reintegration of these				Statute of the ICC which established this court was
FAPs. It also provides achievable recommendations to				entered into force on the 1st July 2002. Accordingly
better their reintegration and functioning within their				anyone who commits any of the crimes under the
communities.				statute after this date will be liable for prosecution by
Situational Analysis of the LRA Insurgency on				the court".23 Considering that Uganda signed the
Northern Uganda				Rome Statute of the ICC on the 17th March and
The entire Northern Uganda testifies to the vicious				ratified it on the 14th of June with no reservation, as
suffering emanating from the LRA twenty-year				a matter of state practice, President Museveni of
conflict with the central government of Uganda,				Uganda referred the situation concerning the LRA in
characterized by mass willful killings, abductions, rape				northern Uganda to the ICC in December 2003.On
and internal displacement of the civilian population.				the 29th of January 2004.
Poor living conditions are prevalent among the				The Argentine ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo
internally displaced persons (IDPs), who are highly				announced that "there was sufficient evidence to
impoverished, displaced from their traditional land, and				start inquiring into the grave human rights violations
suffering illness like cholera, malaria, and HIV/AIDS.				committed by the LRA".24 On the 13th October
The region has witnessed interrupted education;				2005, the ICC pre-trial chamber unsealed the warrant
families have had to endure severe social				of arrest for five senior leaders of the LRA for
breakdowns as evidenced by the high numbers of				crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in
orphans, child mothers, and child-headed families.				Uganda since July 2002. The chamber concluded that,
Communities are faced with shortages of food due				"there were reasonable grounds to believe that
to the inaccessibility of their farmlands in the areas				Joseph Kony, Vicente Otti, Okot Odhiambo, Dominic
far way from the respective IDP camps, and are				Ongwen and Raska Rukwiya ordered the commission
hence left to survive on the food rations provided				of crimes within the jurisdiction of the ICC".25 On the
monthly by World Food Program (WFP).				basis of the above background a lot of excitement
A recent August 2006 IDP revalidation exercise				regarding the arrest of Kony and the end of the war
established that Gulu had 460,226 (87 percent of its				was registered among the civic, civil and war
projected population estimate of 528,800) living in 66				affected communities. The hopes of the community
protected internal displacement camps/settlements as				were frustrated when the ICC failed to immediately
a result of the repeated and protracted forced				arrest the indicted LRA commanders. As such, the
displacements triggered by the insurgency. This IDP				war affected communities inspired by their traditional,
population figure constitutes a total of 118338 families				religious and political leaders opted for the traditional
households.4 If the same scenario of Gulu is				justice system of Mato Oput that has been
reflected in the districts of Kitgum and Pader which				discussed above. Part of the reasons advanced
had the IDP population of 31011 IDPs in 22 camps				against the ICC include, but are not limited to, the
and 319,506 IDPs in 30 camps respectively, then the				fact that the ICC does not have retrospective
total number of IDPs in the Acholi Sub Region is				powers to prosecute crimes committed before the
1089843.5 Most of these camps are highly				1st of July 2004, and its intended justice is not fully
under-serviced in spite of the efforts exerted by the				representative and healing for all the war victims who
Local Government together with its Humanitarian and				suffered from the bloody LRA offensive. In principle,
Development partners.6 The IDP situation, as a result				the ICC justice is seen by the war affected
of the LRA, is extended to the Lango sub region,				communities to be insufficient in bringing about
especially Lira district as well as the Teso region in				sustainable peace and reconciliation in northern
the east.				Uganda and as such is not preferred as a justice
Amidst this war traumatized IDP communities are the				intervention for the LRA conflict, at least for now.
hundreds of FAPs who were affected in multiple				The ICC indictments of the top LRA commanders
ways by being abducted, tortured and forced to kill				directly inhibited the FAPs escaping from the LRA
the same communities that they now seek to				captivity. The rebel commanders used the ICC
reintegrate into. Whereas the general feeling is that				against their abductees, whom they convinced that
the FAPs have been forgiven by the war affected				they would be arrested by the government forces
communities of northern Uganda, the idea for them				and taken to the 'whites' to be imprisoned by the
to stay with former communities that they were				ICC. This propaganda worked on the FAPs' psyche
forced to brutalize, has at times led some community				for some time as informed by this paper:
members to palpably insult FAPs as rebels, which				We were told that the whites are looking for us to
often stigmatizes them, causing deep psychological				be taken to the ICC supported by President
scars. Therefore there is need for understanding their				Museveni. We feared to come back home first. But
plight before interventions for their reintegration is				later when we learnt from the Radio Megga (Gulu
commenced.				based FM) that they wanted the top commanders
The Plight of the FAPs				we decided to escape and come back home.26
It is imperative to note that the FAPs are the worst				For some of the FAPs in the IDP camps, the ICC
affected by the LRA insurgency in northern Uganda.				indictment news made them scared that they would
From1996, a year marked by intense fighting				also be arrested from the camp and taken to the
between the LRA and the government forces -				ICC. The author is certain of the lack of information
Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF), the LRA				within the war affected communities as regards the
resorted to abductions and massacre of suspected				ICC mandate and operation. This is attested to. In
government allies to terrorise the civilian population in				some of the interactions with the IDPs, a community
northern Uganda.7 The LRA abducts children and				member inquired if ICC was a person they could talk
adults to serve as soldiers, and girls to serve as sex				to and explain the plight and innocence of their
slaves to its commanders. Those abducted are				abducted and victimised sons and daughters, FAPs.27
brutalized to deter them from escaping. Those				It is therefore very crucial for the ICC to develop a
abducted persons attempting to escape are killed or				communication strategy intended to sensitize the war
seriously wounded as an example to others				affected communities whose justice they intend to
abducted.8 UNICEF estimates that over 25,000				represent and foster.
children have been abducted in the course of the				Needs Assessment and Constraints for FAPs
19-year LRA insurgency.9 The LRA reportedly				Reintegration
favours 9 to 12 years old abductees because the				ï‚§ Long term reintegration beyond reception
age group is the most malleable.10				centers. Support from reception centers is limited
A deeper interrogation of the process and				leading to apathy about status in community.
consequences of abduction of especially the children				Reception centers can only follow up a few FAPs for
and youth into the ranks of the LRA informs us that:				a few months after being returned to their
â€¢ Most FAPs were abducted when they				communities.
were children;				ï‚§ Not all FAPs pass through reception
â€¢ As an initial indoctrination of the FAPs,				centers. Most of the FAPs in Kitgum and Pader did
they were coerced to commit atrocities against their				not pass through reception centers and as such
own communities as a way of incriminating them,				missed out on the basic counseling and rehabilitation
thereby making it difficult for them to return home;				to help them deal with the violent situations they
â€¢ FAPs were isolated and turned against the				might be confronted with within the IDP camps.
members of their families and communities;				ï‚§ The Amnesty Commission can provide
â€¢ In many instances, FAPs were inflicted				amnesty certificates and a one off resettlement
with physical and psychological abuse;				package in their Gulu Office. Access to services of
â€¢ Frequently, the FAPs were forced to give				the Amnesty commission from Pader is very difficult
up their personal identity by undertaking new names;				because of travel to Gulu for the poor FAPs
and				ï‚§ Awareness, respect and redress for
â€¢ For the young girls, they were raped and				rights of FAPs especially for peace, life, health,
forced into marriage with the LRA top commanders.				property ownership, self determination is insufficient.
Over 90 percent of the girls and young women				ï‚§ Sense of belonging to and coexistence
abducted by the LRA were forced into marriage.11				with communities is needed and anticipated by the
Of these, at least 73 percent continued to fight as				FAPs. The reconciliation with community is obstructed
soldiers even if married.12 Although difficult to come				because of fear of vengeance and lack of self
to terms with, the young girls repeatedly raped under				confidence and image. They need receptive home
the 'marriage of convenience with the rebels' were				communities.
safer than those who were single. Interviews with				ï‚§ The livelihood systems for the FAPs are
some of female FAPs indicate that unmarried boys				lacking. As such they are in a state of poverty and
and girls were responsible for the heaviest and most				lack knowledge of practical ways they can improve
dangerous workloads such as carrying supplies or				their well being
moving to the front of a military deployment in				ï‚§ Many young FAPs express the need to
battle.13 I wish to clearly state that this does not				continue with their education. It is imperative to point
necessarily imply that FAPs especially the young girls				out that many IDP camps, especially in Gulu and
who were raped under the disguise of being married				Kitgum, have a nearby school. Some of these
to the LRA commanders did so voluntary. In reality,				schools, commonly referred to as bush schools, are
they were forced into marriage and have sex against				started by the government, former teachers and
their will, after being beaten, tortured and threatened				camp inhabitants who have attained some level of
with death.				higher education
In principle, the FAPs were physical and sexual slaves				ï‚§ Health services, especially for HIV,
of their abductors. If you are to form a picture on				primary health care and access to medical services
the situation of the FAPs while under captivity, the				are insufficient.
chances are that the imagery will be very tormenting				ï‚§ Psychosocial support to deal with effects
and traumatizing. Many researches and studies like				of trauma is dearly needed. Many FAPs say they still
the ones cited in this paper have been very good at				experience post traumatic stress disorder even after
helping us map out the ghastly and inestimable				reception centers and traditional cleansing ceremonies.
suffering the young men and women (FAPs) went				FAPs are called many derogative names like 'demon
through under LRA captivity, but fall short of				possessed', murderers and LRA prostitutes.
answering the question of who is responsible for their				ï‚§ Skilled leaders able to provide support for
suffering.				community reintegration mechanisms.
Uganda is one of the African countries that have				ï‚§ Risk of re-abduction or killing if found by
signed and ratified most of the international				rebels.
conventions and treaties that define and prohibit				ï‚§ Community bitterness because they feel
slavery and practices similar to slavery like abduction				that FAPs were part of the rebels who caused their
of civilians in times of war and peace. These include,				suffering in the IDP Camps.
but are not limited to, the UN charter of 1945, UDHR				ï‚§ Skepticism about what the government
of 1948, Slavery Convention of 1962, Convention on				or community may do either to punish the ex-rebels
the Right of Children, and Geneva conventions which				or seek revenge.
place obligations on individuals and warring parties to				ï‚§ The weakest interest groups like child
govern their conduct in war, and recently the 1998				mothers, the disabled, HIV affected and the female
Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.				gender feel disempowered because of stereotypes
UDHR (1948) declares that everyone has the right to				about roles of the female gender.
life, liberty and security of the person.14 The 1995				ï‚§ The different initiatives undertaken by
Uganda Constitution provides under general principle 3				the various humanitarian agencies to support livelihood
that all organs of the state and the people of Uganda				systems of the FAPs in the camps have not
shall work towards the promotion of national unity,				seriously engaged the question of whose land they
peace and stability.15 It is the primary responsibility				are using giving rise to land conflicts
and duty of the government of Uganda to protect				Conclusion
the life and property of all Ugandans at all times. The				Community based reintegration of FAPs has of
existence of IDPs in northern Uganda, with some of				recent become well recognized to be a necessary
their family members forced into military combat by				intervention in transforming societies in northern
the LRA, is a clear testimony to the inadequacy of				Uganda by various key stakeholders like the
the various duty bearers, in Uganda and the failure of				government of Uganda and its development partners.
the international community to protect the rights of				It is imperative to point out that this development is
these victimized people.				not a cure-all for sustainable reintegration and
The above should not be perceived to mean that				reconciliation of the FAPs and their communities
nothing has been done by the responsible duty				which they once assaulted.
bearers in Uganda and beyond, primarily the				I wish to point out that some of the NGOs like JYAK
Government of Uganda. There have been both				have undertaken community based reintegration
military and dialogue (stick and carrot) approaches,				initiatives of the FAPs from the reception centers
whose merits and challenges are not necessarily				and those who directly found their way into their
discussed in this paper. The discussion is around the				villages. JYAK for example attempts to transform
stark realities of the civilian (IDPs) suffering as one				the apathy, guilt, isolation, trauma and violent
category of victims alongside the FAPs, whom this				response to provocation of the FAPs to reconciliation
paper takes to be the worst affected. For these,				within the FAPs, their families and communities,
there is no contest over the actuality that they were				initiating self development activities to foster their
not protected from being manipulated and used as				responsible and human rights observance and to living
pawns in sustaining the whole insurgency.				with other IDPs. The main activities are establishment
Whereas these sound strong statements, they can				and strengthening of FAPs' groups; peace and
be substantiated. Some scholars are in agreement				self-help training; psychosocial support; support for
with me that behind the LRA abductions is a				Amnesty registration, public engagement; advocacy
systematically crafted strategy of turning the				and networking; and economic reintegration of FAPs
population of northern Uganda against the				through vocational and entrepreneurship skills
government in power, which has majority members				development. Such initiatives of JYAK and other like
from the south. This has widened the north-south				minded partners are intended to support sustainable
divide, which the author, like many nationalists, does				grassroots initiatives for effective community based
not support and looks forward to its end through				reintegration of the FAPs, with the major component
academic and proactive activism engagements with				of promoting their livelihood systems.
the responsible stakeholders as analyzed in the				Community based reintegration of the FAPs could be
authors other related papers: The Northern Question				a success story, if it were to be engaged in an
in Uganda; and Joining Hands to Build a better Uganda				integrated way by the various stakeholders; civil
through National Recocniliation16				society, the government, religious and cultural
The above statement is premised on the reality that				institutions represented in the region, working in
the LRA use the abducted young girls and boys on				conjunction with the primary war affected
the battle front as human shields. During the UPDF				communities to realize social and conflict
offensive against the LRA, most often they could kill				transformation under the themes of forgiveness,
the armed abductees as rebels. From some of the				peace, unity and reconciliation.
interviews with the FAPs who survived the UPDF				Recommendations
offensive, came the following:				â€¢ For sustainable resettlement and
We used to fight the UPDF troops once we fell into				reintegration of the FAPs and IDPs to be attained,
their ambush. We had to put up a spirited resistance				there must be security guarantee for both their lives
against them to save our lives, because if you were				and property. The government and its development
to retreat the LRA commander of your group could				partners need to have in mind a fall-back position on
shoot you. What we feared most were the				how to deal with the same community in case the
government war planes that could drop deadly				Juba peace talks that have raised hopes for a
bombs, killing many of our colleagues. We were				peaceful end of the war fail.
however instructed upon seeing their advance				â€¢ The government action plans for northern
towards us, to remove our shirts, smear with dust or				Uganda like, the National Peace Recovery and
mud, take cover in a tree of bush, hiding both our				Development Plan for Northern Uganda (PRDP), must
finger and toe nails, and in that way the planes could				address the livelihood component of the FAPs and
not easily spot us.17				IDPs for their sustainable reintegration in a strategic
Whereas some of the FAPs survived combat, many				planned manner.
died. When these children are killed in combat by the				â€¢ Local communities' initiatives to facilitate
UPDF, their parents condemn the government for				reintegration are tempered by the fact that they
killing their children. As a result many enraged parents				themselves are strapped with psychological, economic
of the killed abductees resent the government, which				and social constraints that have already depleted their
indirectly meets the intended objectives of the LRA				traditional and socially entrenched coping mechanisms.
of turning the people of the north against the central				Additional mechanisms that serve to shift
government of Uganda. There have been instances				responsibility from individuals to a system are
where the abductees who had managed to escape				necessary to compensate for the lack of resources.
from the LRA during combat with the UPDF found				â€¢ Specifically, mechanisms that serve to aid
themselves harassed and physically harmed by the				local communities' capacity building, monitoring and
community members where they had run for rescue.				evaluation of resources allocated to uplift their
This resentment is attributed to the fact that most				livelihoods and community initiatives for reintegration
of the families that had lost their relatives could not				and reconciliation would assist in developing an
stand any LRA suspected aide or involved				effective overall response to improve FAP and IDP
combatant. They transferred their rage to the				livelihoods.
escapee FAPs for revenge. Although such road				â€¢ Skills training and learning centers are
blocks exist in the course of the FAPs pursuing				needed so that FAPs can continue their educations
freedom from their abductors, many found their way				and learn income generating activities.
to the reception centers like Gulu Save the Children				â€¢ Sensitization training should be made
Organization -GUSCO and World Vision - where they				available to community members in order to address
were received and rehabilitated for a while before				the negative attitudes that clearly exist and impede
being rejoined with their families. Some of them who				community based reintegration and reconciliation with
were captured by the UPDF were taken to the				the FAPs
barracks and later transferred to the reception				â€¢ Equalization of reintegration programming
centers. There also exist those FAPs that directly				across sub-counties and districts, especially Pader and
escaped from combat and found their way home to				Kitgum, need to be tracked to ensure everyone has
their relatives, and those who failed to trace their				access to program resources.
relatives or feared the communities' revenge against				â€¢ Cultural leaders need to be facilitated in
them, and who moved to the main towns within the				performing traditional cleansing rituals as a part of the
war affected districts to engage in petty brokery				welcoming and reintegration ceremony for the FAPs
jobs to earn a living.				into their former communities.
Reintegration Initiatives for FAPs				â€¢ Community forums are needed for the
Uganda's former child soldiers, haunted by exposure				FAPs to share their experiences with the rest of the
to violence at a young age, often find little solace				community. This aspect will strengthen reconciliation
when reintegrated into their home communities.				given that some FAPs harbor bitterness over the
When they return home, the nightmare continues, as				fact that few attempts were made to rescue them
they face stigmatization from their family and				from the Bush when they were abducted.
peers.18 The government of Uganda has not come				Community Based Reintegration suffers from a lack
up with a comprehensive plan for reintegration of				of shared vision between the community and the
FAPs back into their communities. Few IDPs feel that				FAPs. While the community provides the basic
reintegration of FAPs has been satisfactory so far.				necessities for survival, the FAPs generally feel that
Some FAPs have had difficulties, for example, to				this is insufficient given what they have been forced
adjust from the power of the gun as a source of				to endure. This failure to anticipate the expectations
self-reliance and the gun being taken away without				of the FAPs is at the heart of the dysfunction within
facilitation for alternative livelihood skills. What exists				the IDP community. Several approaches can be taken
as reintegration intervention processes by				to engage this issue:
humanitarian agencies and the civil society, are				â€¢ An open, consultative process along the
basically ad hoc activities implemented and duplicated				lines of traditional community dialogue between the
by the various stakeholders. Nevertheless, the				parties to arrive at some sort of shared position and
government of Uganda instituted the Amnesty				to answer the question of what type of practical
Commission to process blanket amnesty for the LRA.				assistance would be deemed sufficient.
I Amnesty for the FAPs				â€¢ FAPs should create groups of their own,
As a response to the persistent insurgency in				with elected leadership, which can interact directly
Uganda, the government enacted the Amnesty Act				with local leadership and NGOs. The FAP groups
in the year 2000. This move was to pardon, exempt				should be able to critically assess their own needs
and discharge former rebels who voluntarily give up				and inform the parties of their intentions. This would
fighting the government through military means from				also help to avoid duplication in programming.
criminal prosecution or any form of punishment from				Health concerns regarding HIV/AIDS and malaria,
the state. The blanket amnesty that the government				water and sanitation and other basic health services
offered to all people engaged in rebellions against the				are prevalent in the camps. Reduction of avoidable
government of Uganda, including the LRA, covers all				mortality and morbidity from trauma as well as
rebel movements since the 26th January 1986. For				communicable and non-communicable disease and
the LRA ex combatants interviewed in the process				maternal risks, through access to safe and quality
of writing this paper, the greatest significance of the				primary, secondary and tertiary health care services,
amnesty law is that it confers upon them as				as well as environmental health for all affected
beneficiaries of amnesty, an irrevocable legal				populations should be the central objectives for all
immunity from prosecution or punishment. Indeed				health interventions.
Key LRA rebels like the former notorious Brigadiers				â€¢ Monitor health threats and risks, including
Sam Kolo and Banya received blanket amnesty from				provision and /or enhancement of the early warning
the government. A number of junior LRA				surveillance and outbreak response systems.
commanders and FAPs who managed to escape				â€¢ Address critical threats with appropriate
from combat and gave up arms have equally been				and quality primary health care actions and
granted the amnesty status. There is a general				strengthen secondary levels of medical care in the
consensus within the war affected communities to				affected areas.
grant full amnesty to the FAPs especially those who				â€¢ Address gaps in health services delivery
were in the lower ranks of the LRA because most				and support in re-establishing essential and
of them were victims of abduction against their will.				emergency medical, public health and environmental
It is imperative to note that "the Amnesty Act 2002				health services.
of Uganda empowers the Amnesty Commission to				â€¢ Ensure that FAPs and IDPs - with
promote appropriate mechanisms of reconciliation in				particular emphasis on women and children - have
the affected communities".19				access to facilities, supplies and information that
The affected communities perceive the Amnesty				contribute to their hygienic status and protect them
process to be insufficient for reintegration and				from water-borne diseases.
reconciliation as understood by the war victims. At				â€¢ Awareness campaigns and counseling for
most, some of the FAPs are given amnesty				the community and FAPs about the risks of HIV
certificates, blanket and mattress, plus some basic				AIDS.
farm equipments. The victim communities perceive				â€¢ Prevention and support for victims of
the amnesty packages from many aspects. Some				Gender-Based violence (GBV) among IDPs and FAPs.
argue that the government is empowering the FAPs,				â€¢ Establish mobile health care units and
who are perceived by some community members as				strengthen functional health centers capable of
the perpetrators that contributed to the communities'				delivering maternal and child health, non-specialized
suffering in the camps, while others feel that the				mental health services, and chronic disease
packages are necessary to enable the FAPs to start				management.
a new life after abduction. The families of the FAPs				â€¢ Increase sanitation facilities for IDPs living
feel that proper reintegration of their children should				in public facilities, and support their maintenance and
on be at the top of the Amnesty process involving				operation.
traditional cleansing, Mato oput.				â€¢ Increase access to hygienic supplies for
II Acholi Traditional Justice Mechanism - Mato Oput				IDPs and FAPs so they can maintain personal hygiene
This is the traditional justice mechanism among the				levels and protect themselves from water-borne
Acholi people who are mainly affected by the conflict.				diseases.
This practice is widely accepted within the IDP				â€¢ Related promotional activities, ensuring in
communities as ideal for cleansing FAPs before their				particular appropriate participation and sustainability of
reintegration with their families. It is carried out usually				interventions.
at both family and IDP camp levels for the FAPs with				There is a concern that current Reintegration
and without amnesty certificates.				activities that involve construction of shelters in the
The mechanism is based on the offender's (FAP)				camps only benefit the long-term residents and not
declaration of the wrong he or she committed.				those that would relocate once the FAPs and IDP
Inherent to this process is the identification of acts				community resettlement into their original homes is
committed by the FAP, which are Kir (Taboo) to the				undertaken. Thus appropriate sites must be identified
Acholi Traditions. These acts range from war crimes				for the accommodation of FAPs, and for the
to antisocial violent acts. The Taboo (Kir) is cleansed				communities to pursue land-based Income Generating
through extensive rituals, which often constitute part				Activities, such as agricultural or animal husbandry.
of the reaffirmation of common values or behaviors.				â€¢ Designing shelter assistance strategies to
A common ritual involves stepping on a raw egg				minimize tension between the displaced persons and
which symbolizes pure and untouched, the Laibi stick,				host communities.
used for opening the granary symbolizing that the				â€¢ Identifying possible new sites and or
individual is returning to eat home, and a twig from				communal building, and undertaking rehabilitation,
the Opobo tree, traditionally used to make soap				where necessary, to keep minimum living standard.
symbolizing cleansing.20				Effective implementations of the assistance and
The same rituals are conducted for IDPs that have				protection activities outlined in this paper are fully
started the voluntary return and resettlement into				dependent on stable security situations within the
their original homes especially in Gulu district. A deeper				camps. Due to displacement and the accompanying
interrogation of the whole Mato-Oput system reveals				increase in the levels of poverty, there is a greater
that:				risk of domestic and sexual violence and economic
â€¢ Mato-Oput is a cultural resolution of				exploitation, especially of children and women. Conflict
conflict in Acholi carried out by the Rwodi Moo, the				resolution mechanisms between the FAPs and IDPs
traditional institution concerned with reconciliation.				are also inefficient, as there is little or no police
â€¢ It focuses on genuine forgiveness for the				presence in the camps, only a camp commander.
offenders like FAPs who ask for forgiveness, leading				Issues above his ability to resolve are currently
to reconciliation of the offender and offended.				referred to the army, which is not in position to
Usually, the elders from the FAPs clan acknowledge				provide adequate resolution. Interventions aimed at
guilt and regret it, while the victims' clan elders agree				improving the security situation should focus on:
to mend fences after factual investigations.				â€¢ Ensuring a systematic protection
â€¢ An agreement is worked out by the				monitoring system of all IDP sites.
elders, including a kind of compensation in form of				â€¢ Ensuring physical and material safety of
livestock, usually cattle, or handing over a young girl				identified vulnerable FAPs with particular emphasis on
to the deceased's family and clan, expected to				women, children and elderly.
produce children to replace the dead.				â€¢ Ensuring children are protected from
â€¢ On the agreed date the compensation is				violence, abuse, and exploitation.
done, elders conclude the process by sharing a bitter				â€¢ Contributing to securing a safe
drink (made from the roots of the Oput tree). This is				environment for women, girls, and young people and
the ceremonial way of swallowing the bitterness.21				supporting victims.
The author wishes to clearly highlight that the				End Notes
component of handing over the girl to the family of				1Refugee Law working Paper No.11 (2004), Behind
the deceased is not generally supported by all the				the Violence: Causes, Consequences and Search for
Acholi people in contemporary times, although there				Solutions to the War in Northern Uganda, Faculty of
are some conservative groups who wish to keep the				Law, Makerere University, Kampala-Uganda.
entire Acholi custom intact with that component.				2ICG African Report No77 (14th April 2004), Northern
Many of the families, who opt for Mato-oput, give				Uganda: Understanding and Solving the Conflict.
cattle to the deceased family, which is expected to				3In this paper, the northern Uganda region
be used by that family to marry a woman for one of				constitutes the districts of Gulu, Pader, Amuru and
their sons, who will give birth and replace the				Kitgum within the Acholi sub region; Apac, Oyam,
deceased member of the family and clan. In				Dokolo, Amolatar and Lira districts within the Lango
summary, the traditional practices that are partly				sub region; Moyo and Adjumani districts in Madi sub
used to restore the broken relationships of the FAPs				region; Kotido, Moroto, Nakapiripiti and Kaabong
and the victimised communities have some				districts in Karamoja sub region; Arua, Koboko,
shortcomings.				Yumbe and Nebbi forming the West Nile sub region.
â€¢ The process is very expensive for the				The political definition of the north takes into account
highly impoverished IDP communities whose children				all those districts that have suffered under the armed
are FAPs. Some civil society organizations like				conflicts, despite the fact that they are categorized
Northern Uganda Peace Initiative tried in 2005 to				statistically to be in the eastern region. These districts
sponsor a team of Acholi leaders to undertake rituals				in the North Eastern Teso region include, Soroti,
of mato oput in welcoming back the FAPs to be				Katakwi, Kumi, Kaberamaido, Pallisa and Amuria.
reintegrated into their families.				4Muwonge Maxie et al (2006), Needs and Impact
â€¢ Many human rights activists are contesting				Assessment of the FAPs in Kitgum, Pader, Amuru
the component of giving a way a girl to the				and Gulu districts, Jamii Ya Kupatanisha-Fellowship of
deceased's family to compensate for the dead family				Reconciliation, Kampala Uganda.
and clan members.				5WFP report (July 2005), Northern Uganda
Consequently, many FAPs whose families and clans				Revalidation Exercise
have logistical support to meet the cost involved in				6OPM-Department of Disaster Preparedness and
undertaking this traditional practice have tended to				Refugees Report (December 2005), Return
feel that they are not cleansed, and hence not				Resettlement and Reintegration of IDPS Strategic
properly reintegrated into their communities.				Plan in Acholi Sub region.
III Reintegration into the National Armed Forces				7Before 1996 Kony was perceived many people
Some of the FAPs, upon escaping from the LRA opt				including some leaders from Northern Uganda as a
to join the national armed forces. It is imperative to				hero promoting Acholi subnationalism, and indeed
note that by and large, the process of FAPs joining				some of the fighters he started with voluntarily
the armed ranks of the state is voluntary. For this				joined him to pursue this cause. When the
category of FAPs, they feel better being				communities shifted from supporting him, he adopted
reintegrated into the army to provide services -				a revenge approach of terrorizing them through such
safety - to the communities that they were once				activities as abducting their children.
forced to brutalise while under the LRA captivity.				8Jemera Rone (September 2005), Uprooted and
These FAPs are given full military training and passed				Forgotten Impunity and Human Rights Abuses in
out in various categories, some, as part of the				Northern Uganda, report available at http//:
Uganda People's Defense Forces (UPDF) and others				9Ibid.
as Local Paramilitias. In some communities like eastern				10see Behind the Violence, supra note 1 at 23.
Uganda, the FAPs formed part of the AMUKA and				11The Justice and Reconciliation Project, Field Notes
Arrow boys to protect their own communities from				No.2 (September 2006), Young Mothers, Marriage,
LRA and the Karamojong cattle rustlers. This paper				and Reintegration in Northern Uganda: Consideration
does not intend to examine the merits of this				for the Juba Peace Talks, Liu Institute for Global
process. It nevertheless wishes to point out that this				Issues and Gulu District NGO Forum.
approach for reintegration of some FAPs has been				12The figures were obtained from structured
under attack by sections of both local and				interviews that Liu Institute for Global Issues and
international communities. In generic terms, those				Gulu NGO forum conducted with 147 young mothers
opposed to this mechanism ground their allegations				formerly married to the LRA in the district of Kitgum,
on the perception that the government is using the				Pader, Amuru and Gulu in northern Uganda.
reintegrated FAPs in the military ranks as human				13Ibid.
shields in the process of military confrontation with				14Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948),
their former abductors, the LRA.				Article 3.
IV Reception Centers				15Constution of the Republic of Uganda (1995),
This intervention was the earliest attempt modeled				National Objectives and Directive Principles of State
by the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to receive				Policy III
FAPs. Gulu Save the Children Organisation (GUSCO)				16The author has written a research paper on the
and World Vision International were among the first				northern Question in Uganda for the Center of Basic
agencies to establish reception centers for FAPs.				Research, Kampala. The paper, Joining Hands to Build
More agencies like Jamii Ya Kupatanisha (JYAK), a				a Better Uganda Through National Reconciliation was
Swahili phrase for Fellowship of Reconciliation in				written for the Coalition of Organizations and
Uganda, among others, joined to support these				Institutions working towards National Reconciliation in
initiatives of FAPs reintegration especially at the				Uganda, presented during their Consultative
grassroots levels.				Conference at Speke Resort Munyonyo-Kampala,
Upon arriving at the reception centers, the details of				12th -14th February were it was discussed by
the FAPs are taken and with their assistance the				Professor Joanna Quinn from the University of
search for their families from which they were				Western Ontario Canada.
abducted commences. While at the reception				17Interview with a group of FAPs from Palabek Ogili
centers, the FAPs undergo counseling as part of				IDP camp in Kitgum district; the author implements a
psychosocial therapy, considering that many continue				community based reintegration project of FAPs in
to experience traumatic disorders due to the				Kitgum, Pader, Amuru and Gulu districts.
gruesome acts they were forced to engage in while				18Micheal Bionx Akena (February 2006), Uganda's
under LRA abductions. Alongside the counseling, the				Former Child Soldiers Challenged After War, Uganda
FAPs at the centers are physically rehabilitated				Conflict Action Network.
through provision of food stuffs, and treatment of				19See section 9 C of the Uganda Amnesty Act 2002
wounds and other health hazards they contracted in				20Tito Owor Shanon et al (2003), Peace Building For
the bush. Peace education components, like				Elementary Schools, A Teacher's Resource Guide,
non-violence skills are offered to the FAPs to help				Jamii Ya Kupatanisha-Fellowship of Reconciliation in
them adjust their interpersonal relations with the				Uganda.
communities where they are reintegrated. In World				21Ibid.
Vision reception center for children, "Bible teaching				22Report by a senior Counselor, World Vision Children
and prayers are emphasized as ways through which				of War reception center in Gulu town
FAPs seek for forgiveness from God for themselves				23See International Criminal Court: Historical
and to forgive their abductors".22				Introduction, available from
The field officers under the reception centers, upon				24Global Policy Forum Report (2004, January 29th):
finding the family relatives of the FAPs, arrange with				International Criminal Court Gets its First case: Against
the community members who gather at a specified				Rebels in Uganda,
time and location, usually the IDP camp where the				25Rene Wadlow (20th October 2005): Uganda: ICC
family relatives of the FAPs live. The FAPs are				Issues Arrest Warrants for Lords Resistance Army,
handed over by the reception center field team to				26Interview with a group of FAPs at Atanga IDP
their families in the presence of other IDPs, who are				camp-Pader district
called upon to be supportive of the FAPs. This				27The author works with both IDPs and FAPs to
intervention as well has its own shortcomings.				strengthen their community based reintegration,
â€¢ The FAPs upon being handed to the local				resettlement and return within six IDP camps in the
communities, find there is a very big gap in their				districts of Kitgum, Pader, Gulu and Amuru.
livelihood support system. They come to the IDP

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