The Paramount Chief of Acholi His Highness Rwot David Onen Achana has sounded a warning to the government of Uganda and the civil society that the region risks relapsing into a state of war if the needs of the victims of the insurgency in northern Uganda are not met.
Speaking during a Transitional Justice conference in Gulu last week, Achana said the psychological effects and needs of the victims of the war have not been adequately addressed by the government.
Achana said: ‘‘people where promised and their expectations have not been met.” He added: ‘‘Kony can came back and people will join him because not much has been done for the victims”.
The conference, themed “Too Little Too Late – or Too Much Too Soon?” convened by the Refugee Law Project (RLP) in collaboration with The African Transitional Justice Researchers Network and the Institute for African Transitional Justice (IATJ-VI) brought together over 30 transitional justice experts from 20 countries including the United States, Australia, France, Zimbabwe, South Sudan, Kenya and Switzerland to deliberate on the issue of timing in transitional Justice around the world.
Achana urged all transitional justice believers to bring peace and healing to all by giving assurance to victims urging that victims should be given proper access to all the different kind of justice mechanisms at the right time.
The Paramount Chief observed that people often abandon old conflicts when new ones emerge leaving the old ones unresolved which affect the healing process.
Achana also noted that there are several stateless children without parents who have been born in captivity in the jungles of Central Africa who now have no country to call home. He called upon the government to grant proper documentation to the children.
Achana said the success of any transitional justice mechanism can only be seen when it addresses the conditions that the victims have been through.
2 Comments
Yea great piece but the gramatical errors was a turn off. Next time better Mr. Editor?
We spoken your Royal Highness. Please do not sign any documents pertaining to land like the Kabaka did with the British. We never never been part of 1900 agreement that created Uganda. We remained Acoli all through colonialism, Bunyoro only ended their hold-out in 1933 hence were under the british rule for less than 30 years!!