Document Type
Article
Publication Title
International Criminal Law Review
Publication Date
2024
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1163/15718123-bja10173
Abstract
By providing victims with more space in the Ongwen case, the International Criminal Court (icc) has significantly contributed to the healing of the trauma and community reconciliation in northern Uganda. That said, this court has also raised issues that could affect local efforts to achieve peace, namely the positioning of victims of child soldiers vis-à-vis criminal child soldiers. Drawing on qualitative data collected through focus group discussions with some community members from locations under investigation by the icc, this sociolegal study examines the victims’ narratives about child soldiers and the different ideas of human rights that emerge. Then, it explores how these ideas may shape future transitional justice mechanisms designed in the global sphere. Finally, it discusses the extent to which they may impact the relevance of current justice initiatives. Overall, this paper analyzes the substantive effect of victim participation in the Ongwen case on local peacebuilding initiatives in northern Uganda.
Recommended Citation
Christelle Molima Bameka, The Post-Ongwen Case Period and the Reconciliation Process in Northern Uganda: Local Communities as a Site of Knowledge (published version at 24 Int'l Crim. L. Rev. 29 (2024)).
Included in
Criminal Law Commons, Human Rights Law Commons, International Law Commons, Juvenile Law Commons
Comments
This article was researched and written by Dr. Molima while at the Washington and Lee University School of Law as a Visiting Scholar from 2021 to 2023, with support from W&L's Center for International Education and the Transnational Law Institute at W&L Law.
The published version of this article appeared in International Criminal Law Review, volume 24, issue 1 (March 2024). A post-peer review manuscript version of the article is downloadable here, per the publisher's requirements.