The Amnesty Paradigm in Conflict Resolution: The Case of Northern Uganda

Abstract

When damage has been done as a result of war, amnesty for perpetrators may be an unthinkable option. Accountability through the legal justice system aimed at conferring retributive justice seems more attractive in such circumstances. This article makes a case for amnesty in the Northern Uganda Situation regardless of the alleged and documented atrocities of the LRA but asserts that the fear for impunity could be mitigated by a truth telling process. The case for amnesty is strengthened by the inherent defects, in the legal justice and penal system which this article explores, by which sustainable conflict resolution is not attainable.