The Trial of Thomas Kwoyelo: Opportunity or Spectre? Reflections from the ground on the first LRA prosecution

Macdonald, Anna ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8873-003X and Porter, Holly (2016) The Trial of Thomas Kwoyelo: Opportunity or Spectre? Reflections from the ground on the first LRA prosecution. Africa, 86 (4). pp. 698-722. ISSN 0001-9720

[thumbnail of Published_Version]
Preview
PDF (Published_Version) - Published Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution.

Download (318kB) | Preview

Abstract

The trial of Thomas Kwoyelo – the first war crimes prosecution of a former Lord's Resistance Army fighter, and the only domestic war crimes prosecution in Uganda at the time of writing – has been packed with drama, intrigue and politics. The article considers what Kwoyelo's trial means for those most affected by the crimes he allegedly committed, and, more broadly, what it means for the ‘transitional justice’ project in Uganda. The article is concerned primarily with how the trial has been interpreted ‘on the ground’ in Acholiland: by local leadership; by those with a personal relationship to Kwoyelo; by direct victims of his alleged crimes; and by those who were not. Responses to the trial have been shaped by people's specific wartime experiences and if or how his prosecution relates to their current circumstances – as well as by the profound value of social harmony and distrust of higher authorities to dispense justice. We conclude with a discussion of the relevance of our findings for the practice of ‘transitional justice’ across the African continent.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: sdg 16 - peace, justice and strong institutions ,/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/peace_justice_and_strong_institutions
Faculty \ School: Faculty of Social Sciences > School of International Development
Related URLs:
Depositing User: LivePure Connector
Date Deposited: 02 Apr 2019 14:30
Last Modified: 22 Oct 2022 04:37
URI: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/70449
DOI: 10.1017/S000197201600053X

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item