Ebony and Ivory: Restorative Justice and the ICC Orchestrated for Sustainable Peace in Uganda

Abstract

The conflict in Uganda represents one of the major humanitarian crises of our time, marked by campaigns of terror carried out by rebel groups and government forces against the Ugandan population, including killings, torture, mutilations, forced displacement, destruction of homes, abduction of children, sexual violence, and looting of crops and livestock; over two decades of conflict have resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and nearly two million displaced persons; proposed solutions such as amnesty and prosecution before the International Criminal Court (ICC) have proven insufficient, as they fail to ensure lasting peace, which depends on sensitive issues such as the reintegration of former combatants and the restoration of social life; the adoption of a local restorative practice, known as mato oput, may offer an effective approach to addressing these challenges, as well as underlying structural causes of the conflict, while preventing a relapse into violence and respecting the country’s historical, social, and cultural specificities; combining traditional dispute resolution mechanisms with international criminal justice represents a way to balance the immediate need for accountability with the long-term demands for justice and sustainable peace in Uganda.