Uganda
We have been working in Uganda since 2007 to support conflict-sensitive governance of natural resources.
Uganda is a strategic focus for developing International Alert programming, given the country’s intersection of conflict, governance, and natural resource management issues. For nearly two decades, Alert has implemented various interventions to build peace in this East African country, notably in the oil-rich Albertine region.
Our programming in Uganda is based on the understanding that peacebuilding is multifaceted in terms of the themes and issues that are addressed; multi-track, including community-based organisations, civil society, local and national authorities, international policy-makers, private sector and inclusive, involving communities across conflict lines and other social, cultural, political, gender, and generational boundaries.
In 2017, International Alert conducted an external impact evaluation of its ten years of programming in Uganda. The evaluation assessed the extent to which Alert’s programming has an impact on promoting peaceful business environments, human rights and gender, and how Alert engages government, business and civil society in this process. The evaluation found that Alert’s programming around oil has had a very significant, relevant and specific impact as a result of its nuanced multi-stakeholder approach.
As a result, communities are more informed of their land rights and have greater trust in government and oil companies. Oil companies have adopted processes that are more sensitive to communities’ needs (e.g. transparent compensation schemes). Local government officials better understand how to fulfil their roles and better engage communities in addressing conflicts.
Conflict context
Cycles of violence in Uganda date to the precolonial times. Northern and Eastern Uganda are grappling with transitional justice because of two decades of legacies of civil war partly leading to pockets of violent extremism. Karamoja is significantly experiencing a resurgence of old conflict because of insecurity and gender-based violence impacts that limit the participation of women in political and economic spaces.
Conflicts have become increasingly violent and militarised across various parts of Uganda over minerals, oil, forests, and the land where resources are found. Over 70% of the country’s population is dependent on agriculture and solely deriving a livelihood from land and its resources, creating a ripe situation for conflict over land.
There are multiple paths to achieving sustainable peace, including formal and informal approaches. Traditional institutions, which include kingdoms, chiefs, elders, clan leaders, and heads of families, all contribute to this goal. Additionally, government and civil society initiatives provide crucial support for peacebuilding efforts. Exploring cross-border initiatives further enhances the potential for sustaining peace.
