The Cross-Cultural Foundation of Uganda in collaboration with the Karamoja Indigenous Minority Groups platform has embarked on a research whose main objective is to document and profile resilient indigenous peace and conflict management mechanisms and how they can be used to contribute to existing peace and conflict management efforts in the Karamoja region.
Participants in the research so far have included the elders, opinion leaders and chiefs especially from the indigenous ethnic minorities such as the Ethur in Abim, the Soo (Tepeth) in Moroto, the Ik and Dodoth in Kaabong as well as the Nyangia, Napore, Ngikutio and Katibong from Karenga District.
Indigenous Peace Mechanisms encompass various strategies and tools that can be employed to address root causes of conflicts, tensions, promote dialogue, and build trust among conflicting parties. Such mechanisms include diplomacy, mediation, adjudication, dialogue, reconciliation, arbitration, negotiation, conflict resolution training and peace education among others conducted in culturally designated spaces such as shrines.
In the Karamoja region, these mechanisms and traditional governance structures for conflict resolution are still in existence, especially for inter-ethnic or inter clan conflicts where compensation and reconciliation – such as involving exchange of livestock or other items – are the norm. The elders are known to initiate talks and create an environment conducive for dialogue but this is only currently done by a few, well respected and credible leaders who are not associated with any controversy.
Today, the indigenous mechanisms for promoting peace, dialogue and reconciliation are rarely utilized or visible as they have been overtaken, to a large extent, by new players such as formal courts, police, security agencies and religious institutions. Yet, conflicts of different types continue to exist in the region within and between indigenous minority groups such as the Ik, Nyangia, Ethur and the dominant groups such as the Turkana, Jie and the Dodoth.
The elders possess a wealth of knowledge on how to address conflicts related to cattle rustling only that they lack space and opportunities to do so. They play an important role in addressing domestic conflicts too! When there is an inter-ethnic conflict, they reach out to others and inform the respective clan leaders to resolve it.
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This research is therefore intended to document and publicise knowledge on the resilient indigenous peace mechanisms and how they can be utilised today by different stakeholders to contribute to the existing peace processes in the Karamoja region.
It is expected that the outcomes and recommendations of this research shall be used by the leadership of the Karamoja Indigenous Minority Platform in collaboration with relevant local government officials during peace and dialogue meetings in different communities that have experienced severe conflicts in Karamoja.