A Disjointed Effort: an Analysis of Government and Non-Governmental Actors’ Coordination of Reintegration Programs in Northern Uganda Nicole Compton SIT Study Abroad
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SIT Graduate Institute/SIT Study Abroad SIT Digital Collections Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection SIT Study Abroad Fall 2014 A Disjointed Effort: An Analysis of Government and Non-Governmental Actors’ Coordination of Reintegration Programs in Northern Uganda Nicole Compton SIT Study Abroad Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection Part of the African Studies Commons, Civic and Community Engagement Commons, Family, Life Course, and Society Commons, Inequality and Stratification Commons, Peace and Conflict Studies Commons, and the Social Psychology and Interaction Commons Recommended Citation Compton, Nicole, "A Disjointed Effort: An Analysis of Government and Non-Governmental Actors’ Coordination of Reintegration Programs in Northern Uganda" (2014). Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection. 1920. https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection/1920 This Unpublished Paper is brought to you for free and open access by the SIT Study Abroad at SIT Digital Collections. It has been accepted for inclusion in Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection by an authorized administrator of SIT Digital Collections. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A Disjointed Effort: An analysis of government and non-governmental actors’ coordination of reintegration programs in northern Uganda By: Nicole Compton Academic Advisor: Paul Omach Academic Director: Martha Wandera SIT Study Abroad, Uganda Post Conflict Transformation Fall 2014 Acknowledgements I would like to first thank my parents for providing me with the opportunity to study abroad in Uganda and supporting me throughout the semester. I would also like to thank the SIT staff for facilitating a remarkable semester and providing constant advice throughout the ISP period. In addition, I greatly appreciate the time and assistance provided to me by my respondents and my ISP advisor, Paul Omach. Finally, I would like to acknowledge my host family for welcoming me into their family and providing me with memories that will last a lifetime. Thank you to everyone I have encountered over the last three months who have contributed to this once in a lifetime experience. Table of Contents Glossary of Acronyms and Terms ........................................................................................................................ 4 Abstract ......................................................................................................................................................................... 5 1.0 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................ 7 2.0 Background ........................................................................................................................................................... 8 2.1 History of violence in the northern Uganda ........................................................................................................... 8 2.2 Impact of the LRA Conflict ......................................................................................................................................... 9 2.3 Reintegration ................................................................................................................................................................. 11 2.4 Actors ............................................................................................................................................................................... 12 3.0 Justification ......................................................................................................................................................... 13 5.0 Methods and Ethical Consideration ............................................................................................................ 14 5.1 Overview ......................................................................................................................................................................... 14 5.2 Reasoning and Effectiveness ........................................................................................................................ 15 5.3 Challenges ...................................................................................................................................................................... 15 5.4 Ethical Considerations ................................................................................................................................................ 16 6.0 Findings ................................................................................................................................................................ 17 6.1 Government Initiatives ............................................................................................................................................... 17 6.1.1 Amnesty ................................................................................................................................................................. 17 6.1.2 Peace, Recovery, and Development Plan .................................................................................................... 19 6.1.3 National Reconciliation Bill and Transitional Justice Policy .......................................................... 21 6.3 Coordination ................................................................................................................................................................ 26 6.3.1 Overview ................................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. 6.3.1 Government Coordination at National Level ............................................................................................. 26 6.3.2 Government Coordination at Local level .................................................................................................... 30 6.3.3 NGO Coordination ............................................................................................................................................. 33 7.0 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................................................... 35 8.0 Recommendations for Ideal Coordination ................................................................................................ 36 Bibliography ................................................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined. Interviews Cited ........................................................................................................................................................ 40 Glossary of Acronyms and Terms CDO: Community Development Officer CSO: Civil Society Organizations DDMC: District Disaster Management Committee DMC: District Management Committee Ex-combatants: This study defines ex-combatants as those LRA returnees who have participated in military operations GoU: Government of Uganda LCV: Lord’s Resistance Army LRA: Lord’s Resistance Army NGO: Non-governmental Organizations Northern Uganda: Refers to the northern region of Uganda and includes 30 districts including the Acholi sub-region and Gulu District NUDC: Northern Ugandan Data Center OPM: Office of the Prime Minister PMC: PRDP Monitoring Committee PRDP: Peace, Recovery, and Development Plan RDC: Resident District Committee Reporters: As defined by the Amnesty Act, a reporter is someone who takes steps to receive Amnesty Reintegration: Reintegration refers to the long-term process that involves acceptance of reporters back into the community and regaining productive levels of engagement in the community LRA Returnees: This study define returnees as all individuals returning from the captivity of Lord’s Resistance Army back to their communities TWG: Technical Working Group Abstract This research project was designed to investigate the extent to which the reintegration process for those returning from the LRA has been coordinated and facilitated by the Government of Uganda and NGOs at the present time. This was done through examining current government initiatives, NGO initiatives, and the current coordination between the two sectors. Special emphasis was given to the role of the Government of Uganda specified in the Ugandan Peace, Recovery, and Development Plan. This study discovered that the Government of Uganda has neglected to take a leadership role on the issue of reintegration. Rehabilitation and reintegration of those returning from the LRA has been almost completely left in the hands of development partners including NGOs. It was determined that a partnership between the government and NGOs is necessary in a post-conflict situation, but the Government of Uganda should take a more leading role in facilitating and coordinating reintegration initiatives within the country. Map of Northern Uganda Image taken from U.S. Department of State at http://northernuganda.usvpp.gov/vpp/index.html 1.0 Introduction Long lasting peace cannot be achieved in northern Uganda without a strong framework to facilitate the reintegration process of formerly abducted persons (FAPs) and ex-combatants for the Lord’s Resistance Army. Although the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) has left Uganda for neighboring countries, the Acholi sub-regions still face many post-conflict challenges. One major obstacle to peace in Northern