WAR CRIMES IN UGANDA: Seeking Peace through Accountability

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May 12,  2004,
12 (noon) - 1 pm
Senate Russell Building, Room 385

Panelists:

• Rory Anderson, Africa Policy Advisor, World Vision

• Susana Sa'Couto, Executive Director, War Crimes Research Office, Washington College of Law

• David Scheffer, Professor, Georgetown Law School; former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues

Uganda seems a model of the new Africa: working closely with the U.S. to fight terrorism, Uganda's President has also presided over an increase in education and a decrease in the rate of HIV/AIDS infection. Yet Uganda's stability and development is jeopardized by the 18-year-old conflict in the north, notable for its brutality and persistence. Both sides of the conflict - the Ugandan army and the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) - are accused of using child soldiers, raping civilians, and looting villages. The LRA relies on stolen children (estimated at more than 20,000), whom they use as forced labor, sexual slaves for commanders, and machine gun fodder in battle.

Because of its strong bilateral relationship with Uganda, the U.S. can play a pivotal role in building peace in Uganda. The complexity of this war requires a complex response, one piece of which is reestablishing the rule of law in the north. With no fear of accountability, commanders and soldiers on both sides abuse civilians at will. What role can judicial accountability play in helping resolve this conflict? What national and international options are there for prosecuting war crimes in Uganda? And what can the U.S. do to help?

Lunch will be served. Sponsored by Citizens for Global Solutions. Please RSVP to mgardner@globalsolutions.org.

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