Gulu University Launches Center of Excellence in Transitional Justice Studies

Gulu University has launched the centre of Excellence in transitional justice and refugees’ studies, marking a significant milestone in becoming a one stop center for documentation and research in Transitional Justice.

The centre was launched on Wednesday jointly by the European Ambassador to Uganda, Jan Sadek, and the Danish Ambassador to Uganda, Signe Winding Albjerg, at the Gulu University campus. They were accompanied at the launch by a team of European Union (EU) member state Ambassadors who are currently on a three-day visit in the Acholi subregion.  

The new centre will be hosted at the Institute of Peace and Strategic Studies campus in Pece-Laroo Division.

Dr Stella Apecu Laloyo, the Chief of the Institute of Peace and Strategic Studies, during a presentation to the EU Ambassadors noted that the center is expected to conduct both electronic and physical research in transitional justice in the region.

She noted that the launch comes at a time of the implementation of the reparations order in the case of convicted former Lord’s Resistance Army Commander Dominic Ongwen and Thomas Kwoyelo. Dr Laloyo said they intend to document the voices of the people on the reparations order and carry out research on children born of war and the refugee situation in Northern Uganda, which will be used for further studies and references.

“This centre is here at the right time, and will help us a lot in research and documentation. It is also part of accountability for the war victims, we need something where they can call to account about their pain and suffering, and I think this is the right year, 2025, to launch the centre,” she said.

Dr Laloyo noted that conducting research in Transitional Justice is very important for Northern Uganda, which went through legacies of rights violations ranging from sexual and gender bases violence, and enslavement. She however highlighted concerns on the reparation processes, and the issues pf children born of war or rape are some of the emerging issues in the Transitional Justice in Northern Uganda which deserves proper documentation.

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The centre of excellence in Transitional Justice and Refugee studies is part of the third work package under the Project Building Stronger Universities (BSU) phase 4 funded by the Danish Embassy. The third out of the six work packages under the BSU project focuses on post-conflict policies and practices, host and refugees, and transitional Justice.

Prof David Okello Owiny, the Deputy Vice Chancellor Gulu University however noted that through the center, the University will work closely with the European Union in its implementation. Prof Owiny noted that the EU have been inspired by the harrowing stories told about the impacts of the war from the sub-region and intend to hold specific engagement with the University on transitional justice topic.

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The government in 2019 approved the National Transitional Justice Policy (NTJP), in a move that affirmed its commitment to addressing the lasting impacts of the past conflicts, and promoting reconciliation initiatives, peace building, re-integrations and accountability.

However, Pamela Angwech, the Executive Director of GWED-G, a women-led grass-roots Non-Governmental organisation, said the enactment of the National Transitional bill into law has been overdue. Pamela said the enactment of the National Transitional Justice bill by the parliament will help in addressing several emerging issues in the post war Northern Uganda among them issues of reintegration of children born of war and rape.

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She, however, called on the European Union (EU) to champion a more inclusive and equitable approach to reparations and reparative support to a wider section of victims of the past conflicts in Northern Uganda, but not selected groups.

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The EU Ambassador to Uganda Jan Sadek lauded the University for their presentation and engagement on Transitional Justice arguing that it was one of the themes the EU group wanted to study on their visit to the sub-region.

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The EU delegations arrived in Gulu on Tuesday and have since met with the Acholi Paramount Chief David Onen Acana II, Gulu district and City officials, visited Gulu Regional Referral Hospital, and Gulu University. They also met with the Chief Coordinator of Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), Gen Salim Saleh, at his home in Gulu city.