People never really talk about Uganda as much as they did when Idi Amin was in power and terrorising the country. But today, this week, right now, there is a peace process going on in Juba in southern Sudan that is trying to end a 20 year Uganda civil war, one of the longest civil wars there has been on the African continent.
And nobody really knows anything about it.
The civil war has been fought up in the north of Uganda between the government and a rebel group called the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). Although the claim they are acting on behalf of an ethnic group and intend to model Uganda on a literal version of the 10 commandments, they have in fact brutalised most of the society up there. The violence has displaced more than 1.6 million people and tens of thousands of civilians have been killed or kidnapped. The LRA are on of the most notorious groups for abducting children into their armed forces, to serve as soldiers, porters, runners and the girls as wives and sex slaves for the senior officers. In 20 years of civil war no less than 25,000 children have been abducted (UN estimate) - often forced to kill their own parents so they have no way back. The LRA have also been reported for numerous human rights abuses including mass rape, massacres and mutilation (their trade mark is to cut off victims lips!).
And now peace is on the horizon as a ceasefire was negotiated in August and a comprehensive peace deal is being negotiated at this point in time. However there is one obstacle:
In 2003 the Uganda president Museveni asked the International Criminal Court to investigate the leaders of the LRA for crimes against humanity. And last year they delivered their verdict - they issues 5 arrest warrants for the top commanders. The LRA had been willing up to this point to negotiate but now they are reluctant to come out for fear of arrest. The whole peace process could potentially collapse as a result!
Most Ugandans, amazingly, want the arrest warrants to be dropped and favour peace above justice. They do not want the long drawn out, publicised court cases which would delay having peace and perhaps even restart the fighting. They rather are willing to forgive. To that extent Museveni has offered all members of the LRA amnesty, against the orders of the ICC.
So the question is does the ICC, whose reputation is by no means certain as many powers have not endorsed it, drop its charges? What message does this send to others rebel groups and dictators - that people ultimately do not have to be brought to justice for the awful crimes they commit? That peace is more important than justice.
Yet do you condemn Uganda for another 20 years of war because you are insisting on trying certain individuals .Does one respect the wishes of the Ugandan people, those who have actually suffered and perhaps almost have a right to be angry, and allow members of the lRA amnesty? How would you arrest these people anyway since the ICC has no enforcement powers but is dependent on the good will of nation states?
Peace versus Justice - where would you come down?
