War victims want quick passing of transitional justice law

War victims from Rwenzori and northern regions have asked the government to expedite the implementation of the transitional justice law, saying it is the only way of promoting peace and helping them recover.

Uganda has had many conflicts which have resulted in loss of lives and displacing thousands.

The war victims say the transitional justice policy will be effective in bringing their abducted relatives back home.

“We have relatives who are still in the jungle and they are willing to surrender but there is no mechanism to protect them. Some of these were just abducted when they were still young. They are willing to come but who will receive it,” Mr Simon Mukidi Byamukama, a former Allied Democratic Forces ex-combat, said during a meeting in Kampala yesterday.

Mr James Burolero, another victim, demanded accountability from the government over the raid on Rwenzururu Kingdom palace by security personnel, among other conflicts in Kasese that lead to loss of lives.

“The most recent is the 2016 Rwenzuru conflict where the army attacked the palace of the Rwenzururu King Charles Wesley Mumbere,” Mr Burolero said.

He added that even after relatives of those who died in raid sought justice, no one has been held accountable.

Ms Estella Alwak, whose family fled from South Sudan, said the silence of the guns did not necessarily mean the conflict had been resolved.

“We came back home but we have not received justice. We returned home and the government put us in peace talks. We are staying in Uganda but we are not united,” she aid.

Mr Lyandro Komakech, the former Gulu City MP, said the law should be passed because it will help them mitigate the impacts of conflicts and give them a framework upon which they can deal with future conflicts.

“The policy is urgently needed because the government and several agencies have deployed a lot of resources but they have failed because people are stuck in the recovery process,” Mr Komackech said.

He said the two-decade LRA insurgency  in the north created significant disruptions in the communities and, therefore, it requires different mechanisms to address the effects.

Mr Francis Tuhaise, the executive director Rwenzori Forum for Peace and Justice, called for sustainable solutions to unite and reconcile war victims.

The law is a proposed government framework designed to address justice, accountability, and reconciliation.