Roco Wat I Acoli Restoring Relationships in Acholi‐land: Traditional Approaches to Justice and Reintegration September, 2005 Liu Institute for Global Issues Gulu District NGO Forum Ker Kwaro Acholi FRONT COVER PHOTOGRAPHY Left: The Oput Root used in the Mato Oput ceremony, Erin Baines Centre: Dancers at a communal cleansing ceremony, Lara Rosenoff Right: A calabash holding the Oput and Kwete brew, Erin Baines BACK COVER PHOTOGRAPHY Background: Winnower for holding the Oput, and knife to slaughter sheep at a Mato Oput Ceremony, Carla Suarez Insert: See above © 2005 ROCO WAT I ACOLI Restoring Relations in Acholi‐land: Traditional Approaches To Reintegration and Justice Supported by: The John D. and Catherine T. Macarthur Foundation The Royal Embassy of the Netherlands Prepared by: Liu Institute for Global Issues Gulu District NGO Forum With the assistance of Ker Kwaro Acholi September, 2005 Comments:
[email protected] or Boniface@human‐security‐africa.ca i Roco Wat I Acoli ii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The 19 year conflict in northern Uganda has resulted in one of the world’s worst, most forgotten humanitarian crisis: 90 percent of the affected-population in Acholi is confined to internally displaced persons camps, dependant on food assistance. The civilian population is vulnerable to being abducted, beaten, maimed, tortured, raped, violated and murdered on a daily basis. Over 20,000 children have been abducted by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and forced into fighting and sexual slavery. Up to 40,000 children commute nightly to sleep in centres of town and avoid abduction. Victims and perpetrators are often the same person, and currently there is no system of accountability for those most responsible for the atrocities.