Sustaining the peace in northern Uganda: exploring the potential for community participation in conflict resolution processes

• Main Author: Barrigye, Samson
• Other Authors: O'Brien, Connie
• Format: Doctoral Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: University of Cape Town 2015
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/12706

Includes bibliographical references. === The study examines the potential for community participation in peacemaking and conflict resolution processes, with particular emphasis on the nature and level of that participation. The researcher adopted an exploratory, qualitative research design. The Acholi region of Northern Uganda was targeted for this case study because of its history as a conflict affected region. The study involved twenty-six (26) key informants and one hundred and sixty-nine (169) participants who were involved in thirteen (13) focus groups. The key informants were selected using the purposive sampling method, while the focus group participants were selected using a mixture of snowball and purposive sampling methods. The most significant findings of this study were that: # Key participants included the government of Uganda (GoU) peace team; the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) peace team; appointed and elected political leaders; civil society representatives; the Acholi cultural institutions, and religious leaders. # The community was represented at the peace talks by religious and cultural leaders. However, there is some ambiguity as to whether or not these leaders truly represented the local communities. # Unclear selection criteria and ambiguous mandates of representatives caused problems of legitimacy. # Women representatives/participants in the peace process were only given ‘observer status’. # Religious and cultural leaders initiated the peace process and acted as informal mediators. # There was a lack of communication, and community members were not fully informed of the developments taking place during the Juba peace talks. # The Acholi traditional conflict resolution practices were not optimally utilized since the elite negotiators adopted the western model of peacemaking processes.. # Mato-oput (an indigenous conflict resolution practice) which emphasises truth telling is effective only in specific cultural settings and may not be suitable for addressing more serious conflicts such as war crimes. The following recommendations emanate from this study: # Structures to ensure legitimate representation of community members should be set up. # Various levels of community participation should be a feature throughout the conflict resolution process. # Middle range leaders and intermediaries should be given much more leverage during the peace process. # Women should be especially included in the peace process since they have strategic contributions to make from their perspective. # Legitimate community representatives should inform their constituencies of the developments taking place at the peace talks through various communication channels.. # Strategies should be adopted to address those specific impediments to community participation such as socio-economic and/or political factors.. # Training, financial support and other costs of participation should be factored into the peace process as necessary for the overall peace dividend. # Formal and traditional justice systems should be synchronized to ensure that they mutually reinforce peace in culturally appropriate and relevant ways.