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NOT WITHOUT US Strengthening Victim Participation in Transitional Justice Processes in Uganda Photo Cover Credit: Photo by ESA/REDRESS

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NOT WITHOUT US Strengthening Victim Participation in Transitional Justice Processes in Uganda Photo Cover Credit: Photo by ESA/REDRESS NOT WITHOUT US Strengthening Victim Participation in Transitional Justice Processes in Uganda Photo cover credit: Photo by ESA/REDRESS. Survivors of the Abia massacre of 2004 sit in a school surrounded by paintings that depict life in their community before and after the massacre in memory of their war experiences. This report was produced by REDRESS, ESA and UVF with funding support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Nether- lands, under the project Strengthening Victim Participation in the Fight Against Impunity for International Crimes, carried out jointly by Impunity Watch and REDRESS. The content of this report represents the views of REDRESS, ESA and UVF only and is their sole responsibility. First published in July 2020. All rights reserved. Materials may be freely disseminated and used for educational, activist and non-profit purposes, with due acknowledgment of the source. Otherwise, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted to any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of REDRESS, ESA and UVF. REDRESS 87 Vauxhall Walk London, SE11 5HJ United Kingdom REDRESS Nederland Laan van Meerdervoort 70 2517 AN, Den Haag Nederland @REDRESSTrust /theREDRESSTrust Emerging Solutions Africa Plot 104, Semawata Rd Kampala, Uganda +256 752 184685 info@emergingsolutionsafrica emergingsolutionsafrica.org @ESA_UG /EmergingSolutionsAfrica Uganda Victims Foundation P.O. Box 981 Lira, Uganda +256 392 940042 [email protected] Table of Contents Acronyms ...............................................................................................................................................................................................5 Executive Summary ..............................................................................................................................................................................6 The Centrality of Victims’ Participation .......................................................................................................................................7 Participation in Accountability Processes ....................................................................................................................................8 Truth-Telling ...................................................................................................................................................................................9 Reparations ....................................................................................................................................................................................9 Moving Transitional Justice Forward ...........................................................................................................................................9 Recommendations ............................................................................................................................................................................ 11 To the Government of Uganda.................................................................................................................................................. 11 To the Justice Law and Order Sector ......................................................................................................................................... 11 To Victims’ Counsel .................................................................................................................................................................... 12 To Civil Society Organisations .................................................................................................................................................... 12 To Donors .................................................................................................................................................................................... 12 1. Background and Methodology ..................................................................................................................................................... 13 1.1 About REDRESS .................................................................................................................................................................... 13 1.2 About the Project and our Partners.................................................................................................................................... 13 1.3 Methodology and Acknowledgements .............................................................................................................................. 13 2. Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................................... 15 3. Relevant Legal and Policy Framework .......................................................................................................................................... 16 3.1 Early Engagement of Victims .............................................................................................................................................. 17 3.2 Integrating Gender and Including Vulnerable Groups ...................................................................................................... 18 3.3 Uganda’s Human Rights Obligations .................................................................................................................................. 18 4. From Conflict to Transition ............................................................................................................................................................ 20 4.1 The Conflicts ......................................................................................................................................................................... 21 4.2 Impact on the Civilian Population ....................................................................................................................................... 21 4.3 The Path to Transition .......................................................................................................................................................... 22 4.4 The Juba Peace Talks ............................................................................................................................................................ 23 4.5 The National Transitional Justice Policy .............................................................................................................................. 24 5. Placing Victims at the Centre ........................................................................................................................................................ 26 5.1 Participation of the Most Vulnerable ................................................................................................................................. 28 5.2 Overly Bureaucratic and Top-Down Process ...................................................................................................................... 28 5.3 From Consultation to Decision-Making .............................................................................................................................. 29 5.4 Moving Forward ................................................................................................................................................................... 30 6. Victim Participation in Accountability Mechanisms .................................................................................................................... 32 6.1 The accountability Gap ........................................................................................................................................................ 32 6.2 Amnesty ................................................................................................................................................................................ 34 6.3 Complementary Justice Processes ..................................................................................................................................... 35 6.3.1 The Ongwen Case ..................................................................................................................................................... 36 6.3.2 The Kwoyelo Case ..................................................................................................................................................... 37 6.4 Traditional Justice................................................................................................................................................................. 40 6.5 Strengthening Participation in Accountability Processes .................................................................................................. 41 7. Truth-Telling .................................................................................................................................................................................... 43 7.1 Victims Want the Truth........................................................................................................................................................ 43 7.2 Truth Commission or Another Mechanism? ...................................................................................................................... 45 7.3 Moving Forward ..................................................................................................................................................................
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