The case of Uganda

Alongside many other political and social conflicts in different parts of the country, specifically the civilian population in northern Uganda has suffered from consequences of protracted civil war and human rights atrocities since 1986. Numerous peace initiatives have failed or stalled.

In 2003, Uganda’s President referred the situation in northern Uganda to the International Criminal Court (ICC), which in 2004 issued arrest warrants against five high-ranking commanders of the rebel group Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). In addition, the Uganda government is currently planning a comprehensive transitional justice approach compromising judicial as well as non-judicial justice mechanisms. The Rome Statute of the ICC includes far-reaching provisions for victim participation in legal proceedings, for their protection and for reparations.

So far, victim participation has not received sufficient attention in political and social debates within the Ugandan transitional justice process. Also, the question of victimhood is very complex due to different categories of victims affected by suppression and conflict over a long period of time in different regions.

In July 2009 a workshop on “The Contribution of Victim Participation in Transitional Justice Processes“ was held in Uganda with participants from Ugandan non-governmental organisations as well as from Makerere University, Gulu University, Philipps-University Marburg and Augsburg University.

workshop.