Restorative Justice
D.R. Congo: A Call for Truth and Reconciliation
Posted on September 10, 2009
Justice in Democratic Republic of the Congo is mainly accessible to and protects the powerful, those who run the system, the politically connected, and the rich who influence decision making and can pay for years of trials. The poor and powerless are prosecuted and exploited with little or no hope except by subscribing to indigenous mechanisms of justice and other extra-judicial methods of mediation.
Women of Wajir
By Andy Fallonn
Posted on August 26, 2009
In the early 1990’s, six women began a process that transformed much of the Wajir district in northeast Kenya. Attempting to cope with what was described as a “disaster waiting to happen,” these women formed a community-based approach to halting the violence. Their efforts should serve as an example to communities across the continent who are seeking another path to peace.
In 1991, a state of emergency was declared in the Wajir region as drought destroyed nearly 80 percent of the animal stock in this primarily pastoral society. As a result of state collapse in Somalia, refugees and weapons flowed into the region. Food and water were scarce; weapons and competitive pressures were prevalent. Tensions between the region’s three main tribes were heightened following Kenya’s 1992 election. Soon after, violence broke out in the region, killing over 1200 people. Continued clan-based looting, rape, and murder created a sense of lawlessness in Wajir district.
Post-Conflict Burundi and the Role of Ubushingantahe Council
The legacy and the contribution of Ubushingantahe institution to justice and peace in Burundi is undeniable. Through the turbulent times in Burundi, this institution was politicized and lost its credibility, but now Burundians desire its restoration as part of an effort to rebuild a new Burundi for all citizens. Burundi is entering a post-conflict phase after decades of coups and massacres triggered by ethnic power struggle. After the signing of the 2003 ceasefire agreement that put in place a transitional government, Burundians elected their second democratically elected president in 2005, Mr. Pierre Nkurunziza. In April 2009, Agathon Rwasa, the leader of the rebel movement, Forces for National Liberation (FNL), that wreaked havoc on Burundi for decades, finally put his arms to rest and registered his movement as political party instead. Today there is a relative peace in Burundi.
Read more: Post-Conflict Burundi and the Role of Ubushingantahe Council
New Report! Restorative Justice in Burundi and Uganda
As part of AFJN's ongoing research on restorative justice, staff members Bahati Jacques and Beth Tuckey wrote a report on their recent trip to Burundi and Uganda. It details community-based justice mechanisms in these post-conflict societies and what the U.S. can do to promote awareness and policy change.
Click here to find and download the report!
Click here to find and download the executive summary!
Page 1 of 4
