Ugandans talk peace with Sierra Leoneans
Kakua chiefdom's paramount chief and elders shared their experiences of war and reconciliation within their communities in Bo, Sierra Leone
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Sitting in a sweltering hall in the southern Sierra Leonean town of Bo, a group of Ugandan men and women listened intently as the local paramount chief's spokesman recalled how his people had chosen peace over revenge after 11 horrific years of civil war.
"Somebody who came to amputate your arm, amputate your foot, burn your house, kill your children - saying forgive me - for doing all those things?" he said, shaking his head. "It was very bitter. But for the sake of peace we decided to swallow that bitter pill. And today we are none the worse for it."
It was not the first mention of Sierra Leone's bitter pill in a week of meetings with government officials, activists, lawyers, traditional leaders, former child soldiers, students, academics and ordinary citizens. In a war where, as one person said, "everybody lost someone", everyone spoke of the painful path to reconciliation.
The Ugandans had come to see how peace in Sierra Leone has fared since war ended in 2002. With their own country grappling with possible peace after 23 years of conflict with the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), they hoped to gain some valuable lessons to take back home.
Mostly all from Uganda's war-affected northern region, the group included a government official, two former LRA child soldiers, the cultural minister for Acholi traditional leaders, Gulu University's student union president and several NGO field and research staff. None had visited Sierra Leone before. The stories of exceptional brutality and terror were however all too familiar.
"Our conflicts share many terrible traits," said Charles Tolit of the Justice and Peace Council. Tens of thousands of children were abducted, forced to kill and fight in wars they had no understanding of; tens of thousands of innocent civilians suffered barbaric mutilations, massacres and rape.
Balancing peace and justice
In Sierra Leone's Special Court in Freetown, the Ugandans watched via satellite the trial of former Liberian dictator Charles Taylor in the Hague
How to balance peace with justice for these war crimes has also been hotly debated in both countries. In the public gallery of the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone the Ugandans watched former Liberian president Charles Taylor being cross-examined in The Hague via satellite for his role in the conflict. Several pondered whether they might one day see the LRA's leader Joseph Kony on a similar screen. Such a possibility has proven a big obstacle in their peace process. Kony has steadfastly refused to sign a final agreement unless the International Criminal Court (ICC) drops its warrants against him and several commanders.
Unlike in Sierra Leone however, Uganda's proposed peace deal does not allow for a truth and reconciliation commission. President Museveni is resisting wide calls for any public truth-telling. "There is a lot of pressure," said Timothy Lubanga, assistant commissioner in the Prime Minister's Office for the north's peace and development recovery plan. "The government has not been liking it because it has been thinking the circumstances in Uganda do not require one."
Yet the Ugandans heard from many Sierra Leoneans how important this forum had been for the country's healing process. "It gave victims the chance to publicly vent their anger and feelings," explained transitional justice expert Mohamed Suma. "And for perpetrators to say I did this, and I'm sorry."
"It helped establish an accurate historical record of what happened," said Jamesina King, chairperson of the Human Rights Commission. She cautioned the Ugandans to learn from Sierra Leone's shortcomings – for example six years after its Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommended that the government compensate war victims, none have received anything. "Start planning how to make reparations to your war victims now."
Meeting Bo’s community peace monitors
Ugandan Grach Arach, (right) talking with two of BPRM's women peace monitors about their work. Grace, 23, was abducted by the Lord's Resistance Army in northern Uganda when she was just 11 and escaped after seven years.
Five hours' drive south from Freetown in Koribondo chiefdom's traditional 'barri' court and meeting place, the Ugandans heard stories of how local communities are handling their own justice and reconciliation processes. People here are trained as volunteer 'peace monitors' to help resolve conflicts ranging from 30-year chiefdom boundary disputes to reintegrating ex-combatants and domestic violence.
The group behind this remarkable work is the Bo Peace and Reconciliation Movement (BPRM), one of Conciliation Resources partners in Sierra Leone for the past 12 years. Founded by Hassan Feika, an ex-commander with the pro-government Kamajor militias, BPRM is now recognised nationally for helping prevent and resolve over 1000 cases of armed conflict and violence. Its 250-plus volunteer peace monitors include paramount chiefs, ex-combatants, women and young people.
"This has been a highlight for me because we've heard testimonies of real access to justice, made possible through this very humble institution with very meagre resources," said Charles Tolit. Former LRA abducted child soldier Grace Arach agreed. "I'd like to see how we could do this within our communities."
Now back home, the group have organized themselves into a network. Among their plans is to look at how they can push for a truth and reconciliation commission. As Acholi cultural minister Boniface Ojok reflects, this could help national unity and reconciliation in Uganda. "In Sierra Leone we saw a shared history of the conflict – we don't have this shared history in Uganda."
