{UAH} CONFLICT RESOLUTION

 A PROCESS OF FORMULATING

A NATIONAL CONFLICT RESOLUTION

AND PEACE POLICY IN UGANDA

 

DEFINITION:

 

There is lack of a consensus definition of public policy in this context however, it is "Government's responses and plan of action to public issues" (Issa Kawalya, Head of Political Science Department, Islamic University in Uganda 2009).

 

To address this problem, there is more and more need of multi and inter-disciplinary research roofed on analysis of concrete problems and issues of society that are of immediate interests to policy makers (Issa Kawalya).

 

STAGES OF POLITICAL FORMULATION:

 

The stages of a public policy formulation include identification and accumulation, formulation of various solutions, implementation, and evaluation. Through a technical and executive level in cabinet, where policy analysis including relevant data collection is done to resolve key issues and develop options and proposals consultation is carried out through seminars, conferences, workshops.

 

Then consultation at a legislative level in parliament where even public hearings are taken. The executive and technocrats  implement it, and at end, the policy is evaluated not only by government, but also civil science, private sector, media, and the general public.

 

TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION:

 

The Republic of Uganda is like any other heterogeneous colonial nation state which post independence history since 1962, has been of "A story of conflicts and battles, monarchies swept away, an experiment of socialism, regime(s) of terror and despair, liberation against the heavy odds-Naftali Akena Adoko, From Obote TO Obote (1983). As a result there are a need for national reconciliation and integration through a Truth and Reconciliation commission, as it has been the case in South Africa, Ghana and of Late, Liberia.

 

In 1986, Nation Resistance Movement / Army (NRM/NRA) came into powers after a five year civil war, a commission of inquiry into the violation of human rights was set up, to investigate past crimes and mistakes committed by governments and their agencies, including military and intelligence organizations from 9^th October 1962 to 25^th January 1986, but its findings were not published. Moreover civil war and civil staff continued especially in Northern Uganda up to present day.

 

While paying tribute to Dr. Apollo Milton Obote when his body was laid in State in Parliament in October 2005, President Yoweri Museveni promised to set up a peace and reconciliation commission to address past mistakes and get a collective solution.

 

This was put not only in the election manifesto of the ruling NRM, but also all political parties that participated in 2006 Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government elections. Even the Independent Presidential candidate, Dr. Abed Bwanika had it in his manifesto.

 

The same issue featured prominently during Juba peace talks between Uganda Government and Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels under Joseph Kony, and were put in the peace agreement, yet to be signed. Unfortunately, it is now three years since elections but the commission has not been set up.

 

STAGE I:

 

Government through the Ministry of Justice and constitutional affairs, will start drafting a bill for setting up a truth and reconciliation commission after studying the report of the inquiry into the violation of Human Rights in Uganda from 1962 to 1986, which was submitted to government in 1993 and operations of the truth and reconciliation commissions of other countries especially South Africa.

 

After the proposals have based through drafting stages of the parliamentary counsel, it shall be tabled to cabinet. Thereafter, a cabinet sub committee shall be set up under the Chairmanship of one of the three deputy prime ministers and shall be scrutinized in consultation with multi-sectoral people from different government departments including Presidency, Defense, Internal and Foreign Affairs, Information and National Guidance, and secretariats of the ruling and opposition parties. Seminars, conferences and workshops shall be held.

 

If, it's the passed, it shall be put back to cabinet and after debating, a bill shall be advertised in the official Uganda Gazette.

 

STAGE II:

 

Then the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, shall table it to Parliament for the first reading. Attached hereto shall be a certificate of financial implications from Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, an indicator that it will be funded. The Speaker of Parliament shall committee it to the relevant committee which is for Law Sector, in charge of Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs and party Minister of Internal Affairs. The committee with the help of technical staff from Office of the Clerk to parliament shall scrutinize it.

 

It shall invite relevant expects including professionals in peace and conflict resolution, the general public, the civil society, through public hearings, and report back to parliament. The bill shall be read by the Minister for the second time, debated by members of parliament.

 

 

At a committee stage, the bill shall be scrutinized by parliament, paragraph by paragraph, and sentence by sentence, until a consensus is reached. Then the bill shall be read in parliament the third time, by the minister, and if passed, it shall become a public policy and law.

 

STATE III:

 

The Minister of Finance shall set up a vote for it, which shall be read in the budget speech. The president, in consultation with cabinet, shall appoint members Truth and Reconciliation Commission, who will be subject to parliament's approval. These will include senior citizens/ opinion leaders, experts in law, human rights, peace and conflict resolution, and religious and traditional leaders.

 

The commission shall be inaugurated, it sets up a secretariat where technocrats in peace and conflict resolution shall be hired, and it starts holding public hearings not only in Kampala and other parts of Uganda but even outside Uganda, to get views from political and economic exiles.

 

Through this process, those implicated in past commissions of inquiry shall be called to testify and apply for amnesty. But even volunteers will be encouraged to give testimony. The commission shall make its report and submit it to the President, who shall also submit it to cabinet and parliament, with recommendations. The parliament shall have the final say including a general amnesty for all those that have asked for it and compensation to all the victims.

 

STAGE IV:

 

Government, through the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, shall cause constitutional amendments and other law and political resources to address past mistakes and to lay a foundation for the future.

The Auditor General shall audit its finances and submit a report to parliament which shall also be reviewed by the Public Accounts Committee on statutory bodies.

 

The Law Sector committee shall also scrutinize its performance, side by side, with the general performance of the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, and its success will enable the ministry's next programme of action and budget to go through.

 

The general public including political parties, civil society like Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Community Based Organizations (CBOs), religious and traditional Institutions, academic Institutions and media, shall evaluate the project and find out whether it was worth the noble cause and other resources used. They shall also recommend it to other African conflicts.

 

CONCLUSION:

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission is over due in Uganda in a country polarized between Southern Bantu and Northern Nilotics as a result of 1966 Uganda Crisis and current Northern Conflict, the sooner it is set up, the better.