Contested peace, contested justice: discourse, power, and international justice in northern Uganda

This thesis examines the debate between peace and justice in northern Uganda that transpired following the announcement of the International Criminal Court's (ICC) decision to investigate the conflict between the government of Uganda and the Lord's Resistance Army in January 2004. The announcement of the ICC to investigate the conflict was met with resistance by many of the local religious, political, civil society, and traditional leaders in northern Uganda, particularly those from the Acholi sub-region. The debate between peace and justice in northern Uganda is an important debate that will impact the future of the ICC as well as approaches to conflict resolution. As a new institution, the ICC is attempting to establish itself as an important actor in international relations, but its impact on situations of ongoing conflict is as yet undetermined. An analysis of the debate illustrates how important questions about the impact of seeking justice in situations of ongoing conflict were evaded; however, as actors on both sides of the debate worked to impose particular concepts of legitimate peace and justice, and, ultimately, control the outcome of events on the ground. This thesis examines the discourse and representations mobilized by both sides of the debate, placing the discourse in a historical perspective in order to reveal assumptions and meanings embedded within certain discourses and associated concepts. By examining the historical trajectory of the debate, the relations of power, contested meanings, and strategies of both opponents and supporters of the ICC's intervention can be revealed and analyzed in relation to the objectives of peace and justice. In northern Uganda, neither objective has yet been achieved, and, as this thesis demonstrates, many unanswered questions about the relations of peace and justice remain. It is only through more engaged and candid debate as well as empirical research that such relations can be understood, improving our ability to address the egregious violence that impacts the lives of millions of people in the world today.