67595 The Drivers of Reporter Reintegration in Northern Uganda  Dr. Anthony Finn Copyright © 2012 The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank 1818 H Street, NW Washington, DC 20433 www.tdrp.net www.worldbank.org This study was produced under the Transitional Demobilization and Reintegration Program (TDRP). The find- ings, interpretations, and conclusions herein are those of the author only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the TDRP donors, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank and its affiliated organizations, its Executive Directors, or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. 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E-mail: pubrights@worldbank.org Cover: Duina Reyes Photos: TDRP/Burrall Programme transitionnel de démobilisation et réintégration The Drivers of Reporter Reintegration in Northern Uganda January 2012 Dr. Anthony Finn Table of Contents List of Acronyms ..............................................................................................................v Executive Summary..........................................................................................................1 1. Findings.............................................................................................................................................1 2. Drivers of reintegration not directly linked to formal DDR processes................................................2 3. Important dynamics influencing reintegration..................................................................................3 4. Drivers of reintegration directly linked to formal DDR processes......................................................4 5. Future studies....................................................................................................................................5 1. Introduction...........................................................................................................................6 1.1 Country Context...............................................................................................................................6 1.2 The Amnesty Act and the Amnesty Commission..............................................................................6 1.3 Defining reporter reintegration........................................................................................................7 1.4 Purpose of the study ........................................................................................................................7 2. Methodology. .........................................................................................................................8 2.1 Sample and community characteristics............................................................................................8 2.2 Armed groups...................................................................................................................................9 2.3 Environment..................................................................................................................................10 3. Drivers not directly linked to the DDR process..............................................................11 3.1 Social acceptance and networks .....................................................................................................11 3.1.1 Family and kinship networks.................................................................................................12 3.1.2 Access to family, communal or institutional assets ................................................................14 3.1.4 Community acceptance..........................................................................................................15 3.2 Economic livelihoods and access to material support.....................................................................16 3.2.1 Livelihood strategies .............................................................................................................16 3.2.2 Human capital.......................................................................................................................18 3.3 Conclusion . ...................................................................................................................................19 3.3.1 Drivers of reintegration.........................................................................................................19 3.3.2 Influencers of reintegration...................................................................................................20 The Drivers of Reporter Reintegration in Northern Uganda iii 4. Drivers directly linked to the DDR process.....................................................................22 4.1 Programmatic demobilization........................................................................................................23 4.1.1 Political reintegration............................................................................................................23 4.1.2 Time......................................................................................................................................24 4.1.3 Amnesty.................................................................................................................................24 4.1.4 Reinsertion assistance............................................................................................................24 4.2 Formal reintegration supports.......................................................................................................25 4.2.1 Vocational training................................................................................................................25 4.2.2 Physical and psychological rehabilitation..............................................................................25 4.3 Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................26 iv List of Acronyms AC Amnesty Commission ACSP Amnesty Commission Special Project ADF Allied Democratic Forces AG Attorney General CDD Community Driven Development CFP Community Focal Point CPU Child Protection Unit (of UPDF) CSO Civil Society Organization DDR Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration DISCO District Internal Security Officers DFID UK Department for International Development DOB Date of Birth DRT Demobilization and Resettlement Team (Amnesty Commission) GBV Gender Based Violence GISCO Gombolola Internal Security Officers GoS Government of Sudan GoU Government of Uganda GUSCO Gulu Support the Children Organization ICRS Information, Counseling and Referral System IDA International Development Association IGA Income Generating Activity IOM International Organization for Migration IP Implementing Partner ISM Implementation Support Mission The Drivers of Reporter Reintegration in Northern Uganda v JLOS Justice, Law and Order Sector LRA Lord’s Resistance Army M&E Monitoring and Evaluation MDRP Multi-Country Demobilization and Reintegration Program MDTF Multi-Donor Trust Fund MIS Management Information System MTR Mid-term Review NCG Nordic Consulting Group n.d. no date (in citations) NGO Nongovernmental Organization NUDIPU National Union of Disabled Persons of Uganda NUSAF Northern Uganda Social Action Fund OECD Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development PIM Project Implementation Manual PRDP Peace, Recovery and Development Plan PS Principal Secretary SSD Spontaneous Self Demobilization TA Technical Assistance TDRP Transitional Demobilization and Reintegration Program TPO Transcultural Psychosocial Organization TSN Transitional Safety Net UgDRP Uganda Emergency Demobilization and Reintegration Project UNRF Uganda National Rescue Front UPA Ugandan People’s Army UPDF Ugandan People’s Defence Force USD United Stated Dollars WHO World Health Organization WNBF West Nile Bank Front vi Executive Summary T his report is part of a number of studies con- who are understood to be similar. As with most cul- ducted for the World Bank and the Amnesty tural constructs, boundaries are fluid and shift with Commission to coincide with the end of the cultural changes and with how particular groups and Uganda Demobilization and Reintegration Program individuals perceive themselves and others. (UgDRP). It benefits from field work for the Final Reporters and communities, but particularly reporters Independent External Evaluation of the UgDRP, the must navigate significant boundaries to reintegrate. Reporter Reintegration and Community Dynam- Reporters navigate physical and symbolic terrain to ics Study, and the Implementing Agents study, all of re-enter their communities and are faced with com- which were completed between August and Decem- plex economic and social barriers on their individual ber 2011. All reports are complementary and benefit paths to reintegration. The uniqueness of each reinte- from being read together. gration pathway means that this study, which draws on common experiences to derive learning to inform 1. Findings future DDR programming, highlights how reporters Reintegration is a two way process and involves the face unique challenges to reintegration. It also shows reintegration of reporters1 and communities together. how social, economic, characteristics of armed group, A community is a group within which people have demographic and life circumstances can coincide to something in common with each other, which distin- present each reporter with a different set of barriers guishes them in a significant way from the members to reintegration. Reporters must employ particular of other putative groups. Community simultaneously skills and where possible use particular drivers to en- implies difference from members of other groups and able them to engage in the sometimes long process of similarity to other people. What distinguishes com- reintegration. munities is the boundary. The boundary marks the In so far as boundaries can be the symbolic things that beginning and the end of community and is called separate individuals or groups who appear to be “on into being through social interaction. Boundaries the same side”, for some female reporters, boundaries are enacted because communities interact with other informed by gender bias and cultural norms can be groups or individuals from whom they want to be enforced in a particularly harsh manner. This presents distinguished in some way. Communities have mul- the reporter with an apparently endless struggle to tiple boundaries enacted at different times. Boundar- reintegrate, a journey that will be traumatic and de- ies take many forms and can be expressed as physi- structive. Female reporters by virtue of being female cal (for example, jungle or mountain), geopolitical and by virtue of how economic value is attributed to (such as national boundaries), linguistic or religious, females in kinship networks can face far harsher bar- and importantly they can be visible or invisible. That riers to reintegration and greater challenges gaining a boundary may be invisible implies that it may be in the consciousness of individuals or in the shared perceptions held by groups of individuals. As such 1   Reporters in Uganda are both ex-combatants and their depen- boundaries, the symbolic things that separate us from dents who have renounced all involvement with the rebellion and registered with the pertinent government agencies. To receive amnesty, others, can be internal to communities and so can be reporters must satisfy the conditions contained in the Amnesty Act enacted against people who “are on the same side” or of 2000. The Drivers of Reporter Reintegration in Northern Uganda 1 access to economic and social drivers of reintegration 2. Drivers of reintegration not directly than other groups of reporters. linked to formal DDR processes Because their families and their communities enact The study finds the following regarding drivers of re- boundaries and exclude them, the psychological and integration that are not directly linked to the formal physical violence experienced by some female report- DDR processes: ers who have children born while they were in cap- tivity could become intergenerational social issues Kinship networks are central drivers of social and because their children are labeled “rebel children”, and economic reintegration by: (i) enabling reporters to are deprived of family and the chance to begin life re-settle; (ii) facilitating the interaction of reporters on an equal footing with other children in the com- with the general community and often helping inform munity. the community reaction to particular reporters; (iii) where available, providing immediate material sup- While confirming some general dynamics of reinte- port (akin to reinsertion assistance and short-term gration, this study draws attention to the heterogene- reintegration support), including access to family as- ity of the reporter population and to how this hetero- sets such as land, and (iv) providing for longer term geneity greatly informs the degree to which reporters economic support including informal credit. successfully reintegrate and the paths they take to do so. A constraint (but a practical choice) of programs Kinship networks can also be used negatively to re- of social, economic, and political reintegration is to strict the reintegration of reporters; for example, via: address reporters as somewhat homogeneous groups. (i) misappropriation of reinsertion payments; (ii) stig- This is strategically adequate but it risks not paying matization and deliberate exclusion of reporters from sufficient attention to the diverse combinations of the family; (iii) enacting violence against returning successes, barriers and pathways that each reporter reporter family members; (iv) negatively impeding experiences during reintegration. So for example, the social reintegration of the reporter in the commu- while in general the economic and social reintegration nity, and (v) denial of access to assets. of reporters will benefit from the reporters receiving training, the fact is that the diversity of reporters, the The centrality of kinship to enabling reintegration mix of gender, age, former armed group, family his- and the tendency for vulnerable groups, particularly tory, geography, community receptiveness and mar- female reporters with children born while in captiv- ket conditions means that not all reporters will benefit ity, to experience hostility and exclusion by family, from standardized programs of vocational training. would suggest that DDR programming in Uganda or For example, reporters with highly functional kin- elsewhere should comprehensively target the family ship networks, which can facilitate access to informal during community sensitization and preparation for credit, may benefit more from being able to finance reinsertion. DDR programming should also include a business venture of income generating activity. Fe- a strong dialogue and reconciliation component that male reporters, particularly those with children, will adequately targets the families for vulnerable report- more frequently have their access to markets blocked ers to openly resolve drivers of exclusion of vulnerable by poor kinship networks. Frequently they are re- reporters where possible. fused access to credit including the leasing of land thus constraining their economic reintegration. The Access to assets and credit is a driver of economic reintegration of all reporters will be highly informed and social reintegration. This includes the extent to by life circumstances and by the degree to which which a reporter is given access to one or both of their communities can accept them back not just as the following: (i) family assets such as land, informal reporters but also as females and males, as disabled credit or business/livelihood strategies; and (ii) their or poorly educated, and the degree to which cultural own assets which were in place prior to their time in practices or traditions including those based on gen- the bush including land, savings, business and access der will permit individuals to regain the ground they to institutional support. Access to assets via kinship lost while in captivity or in the rebel group. networks is a significant driver of economic and so- cial reintegration. Access to land improves the imme- diate reintegration opportunity and provides report- 2 ers with land for subsistence agriculture if there is a numeracy in order to make up for some lost educa- means to tend it. If access is sufficient and the reporter tion opportunities encountered by some reporters as is capable of tending the land appropriately, there is a result of their time in captivity. the potential to sell excess good harvests to generate income, a practice to which most reporters surveyed 3. Important dynamics influencing who have sufficient land and resources aspire. The reintegration study suggests that DDR programming should have a strong justice, law and order sector (JLOS) com- The study has found that there are two important in- ponent, which contributes to ensuring that reporters fluencers of reintegration: (i) gender; and (ii) market have equal access to justice when seeking to resolve conditions. issues regarding unregulated land division. Also, this Gender is a significant influencer of reintegration pri- study suggests that reintegration programming should marily because female reporters face far more reinte- include high quality community-driven development gration challenges based on cultural and traditional (CDD) components including ones with a focus on gender dynamics and because their life circumstances community-based micro-finance. are often radically altered during their time in captiv- ity. On the basis of their gender some female report- Diversification of livelihood strategies, particularly ers, particularly those with children, tended to endure outside agriculture, is a driver of successful econom- particularly extreme stigmatization, psychological ic reintegration. Reporters who have the capacity to and physical violence including assault and threats of diversify beyond agriculture appear to be better re- death. For females with children born while in cap- integrated. Those who have diversified into trading tivity stigmatization and rejection can be particularly usually have been enabled to do so through access brutal. to informal micro-finance or credit in their family. The economic activities of those reporters who have Some key perceptions inform the barriers that chal- been vocationally skilled since demobilization as part lenge the reintegration of female reporters, particu- of programmatic reintegration are often curtailed by larly those with children including: (i) the perceived seriously depressed market conditions. Collaboration economic burden to the family of supporting female on income generating activities (IGAs) is not an indi- reporters and their children; (ii) a lack of acceptance cator of success or successful reintegration. In partic- of the value of full reintegration of reporters or under- ular much of the collaboration identified by reporters standing of the reasons to accept back family mem- is a result of how individual reporters are grouped to- bers who often spent a long time in captivity; (iii) the gether to receive IGA training and vocational training social burden of having a female household member by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). However that possibly may never marry, and (iv) the cultural there are reporters who have managed to collaborate obstacle of not accepting children of a non-patriarchal with non-reporters in a successful IGA, for example bloodline into the family. Some female reporters face to cut costs. additional challenges accessing family assets primar- ily as a result of traditional land ownership and not as Education and training is important in reintegration a result of being a reporter; however being a reporter as there is a correlation between poor literacy and nu- is a contributing factor. Those female reporters who meracy and problematic economic reintegration. The are poorly reintegrating tend to experience barriers negative influence of poor literacy and numeracy is accessing land and accessing family credit, and those wide and in the case of numeracy can limit the ability who have children from the time in captivity tend to to acquire a vocational skill or effectively and inde- have more chaotic relationship patterns and difficulty pendently manage cash-flow. The disparity in literacy creating their own family. The result is likely to be that and numeracy between female and male reporters is barriers to reintegration that are informed by negative also documented and the sample in this study reflects traditional perceptions of gender will transform into how female reporters are more likely to have literacy the systematic exclusion of women and forced poverty and numeracy issues. This would suggest that pro- for those women without the social capital to establish grammatically, reintegration assistance where pos- themselves independent of hostile kinship networks sible should include education in basic literacy and and restrictive traditional practices where they occur. The Drivers of Reporter Reintegration in Northern Uganda 3 The programmatic implication is that DDR program- toward reporters because of the Amnesty Act, which ming should be highly gender sensitive and dovetail pardons all reporters within very wide parameters that with other development, post-conflict and stabiliza- identify those eligible for amnesty. Consequently the tion interventions that positively target women and systemic impact of the Amnesty Act realized through seek to reform harmful traditional perceptions of the activities of the UPDF is a driver for the successful gender and the social manifestation of same in, for political reintegration of reporters. example, gender-based violence (GBV). Time is a factor influencing the reintegration of re- Market conditions are significant enablers or in- porters: (i) the longer the time spent in captivity the hibitors of economic and concomitant social reinte- longer the break in normal life trajectory and the gration. In Uganda severe development challenges more likely it is that reporters will acquire significant mean that those reporters who are re-skilled during life changes that will negatively influence their reinte- reintegration or return with pre-existing or acquired gration; (ii) where barriers to reintegration are pres- skills such as carpentry often cannot use those skills ent, reporters who are more recently returned tend to because of the absence or lack of market demand. experience the effects of those barriers more severely. This restricts the ability of reporters to diversify their livelihood strategies and in many situations enforces Reinsertion packages and payments to those who dependency upon subsistence agriculture and creates were newly returned tended to have dual outcomes: risks to food and income security, ultimately contrib- (i) meeting the small, immediate needs of the reporter uting to long-term poverty. and their dependents, and (ii) being part of establish- ing a longer-term income generating activity. As such The programmatic implication is that reintegration reinsertion assistance contributes to the reintegration programs could be greatly complemented or enhanced of some reporters. by an increase in CDD interventions that draw on the learning in existing structures and programs such as Vocational training impacts the livelihood strate- the Northern Uganda Social Action Fund (NUSAF) gies of most reporters who received it but training and which has a strong micro-credit or micro-finance and reintegration programs could be greatly comple- component. Such interventions can empower local mented or enhanced by an increase in CDD interven- communities and assist in stimulating the develop- tions that draw on the learning in existing structures ment of local markets. and programs such as NUSAF and which have strong micro-credit or micro-finance components. CDD is 4. Drivers of reintegration directly one possible solution to the collection of interdepen- dent environmental inhibitors of reintegration, which linked to formal DDR processes trap reporters and non-reporters in income poverty. The study finds that, other than medical treatment for CDD can combat market stagnation and have impor- physical or psychological illness and vocational train- tant subsidiary effects such as strengthening social co- ing, there is very little interaction between the report- hesion and the perceived value of local government. ers interviewed and formal reintegration processes. It would also increase the efficiency and effectiveness Following are the conclusions that can be drawn of vocational training provided to reporters, for ex- regarding drivers of reintegration that are directly ample by GUSCO (Gulu Support the Children Orga- linked to the DDR process. nization), and prevent those skills being unused and the physical assets (such as sewing machines) given to Experiences during reception drive the political re- skilled groups of becoming redundant. integration of reporters. During reception many re- porters have their first contact with the Ugandan state Reporters in this study who have received some treat- through their interception by the UPDF. For report- ment for chronic pain have been better able to have ers in this study the initial contact with the UPDF an income generating activity and take steps towards is positive and contributes directly to their political reintegration. The implication for programming is reintegration by contributing to the emerging trust that appropriate screening, rehabilitation and disabil- they have for democratic institutions of the state. In ity or illness-sensitive training will be a driver to suc- no small part the UPDF are enabled to act positively cessful reintegration by enabling reporters to manage 4 the barriers presented by their own physical and men- Citizenship training should encompass issues such tal health. However there should also be a wider pro- as human rights, democracy, nation building, gender gram aiming to de-stigmatize and de-mystify mental and others, and the goal of such training should be health and focus on developing long-term mental preventative; that is, ensuring that should disputes health supports in the community to assist reporters arise within the community or the region; the risk of and non-reporters cope with the long-term effects of reporters taking up arms or returning to insurgency conflict. Ongoing rehabilitation of reporters, both is managed. This sort of programmatic support also physical and psycho-social, is crucial to enabling re- assists reporters to engage with democratic and civil porters to economically ‘catch up’ to other members institutions. of the community and compensate for time lost while in captivity. Reporters, particularly those dependent 5. Future studies on subsistence agriculture, are more vulnerable to food and income insecurity because of undiagnosed This study is based on a snapshot of reporter reintegra- and untreated physical injuries. tion and was completed in a short period of time. This allows for a quick turnaround of data and analysis, Family and community acceptance are important which has been complemented by a complex meth- drivers of reintegration and as such DDR sensitiza- odology combining quantitative and qualitative data tion should effectively target the two with particular capture and analysis. However there are also limita- emphasis on acceptance of vulnerable groups. tions to the study and important areas of reintegra- tion that are analyzed but which could be addressed Vulnerable groups, particularly female reporters, through future studies, namely: (i) personal charac- would greatly benefit from a more comprehensive ap- teristics and traits that enable reporters to reintegrate; proach to sensitization but also from to conflict reso- (ii) in-depth psycho-social dynamics of reintegration, lution in families with children born in captivity. and (iii) in-depth analysis of war-time experiences Gender-based violence, while not fully documented and how they affect reintegration. in this study, is a prevalent aspect of the marginal- Any future study would be enhanced if it were lon- ization of female reporters. It occurs in families and gitudinal and involving repeat visits and interviews between spouses. This violence is physical and psy- over time. It is noted in this study (section 3) that fre- chological and builds on the often great trauma ex- quently reporters had emotional or psychological dif- perienced by girls during captivity. It is a significant ficulties continuing with the interviews for the quan- inhibitor of reintegration. Consequently reintegration titative and qualitative data collection. Simply put, the programming should be strongly gender sensitive and trauma of recalling details of their lives in captivity or contain some work pertaining to the eradication of immediately after escaping was sometimes too much GBV. for individuals to endure. In such instances interviews Political reintegration could be better addressed, par- were adjourned or in one case abandoned. To delve ticularly with the LRA reporters in the study. This into the more traumatic experiences of reporters ei- could be done through more comprehensive citizen- ther during war-time or in relation to the psycho-so- ship, government and social awareness training in cial legacy of conflict would require that all interviews addition to the current support around conflict resolu- are conducted with on-site psycho-social back-up. tion and social responsibility that is given to reporters Ideally a local NGO could be partnered with for this prior to reinsertion. Such extended training is critical purpose (for example the Transcultural Psychosocial to ensure that political reintegration does not contin- Organization, TPO) in order to have a mental health ue to lag behind social and economic reintegration. professional available to interviewees. The Drivers of Reporter Reintegration in Northern Uganda 5 1. Introduction T 1.2 The Amnesty Act and the Amnesty he World Bank commissioned this report as part of a set of studies concerned with the Commission Uganda Demobilization and Reintegration Program and the Amnesty Commission. The study The Amnesty Act of 2000, which became law on the represents one element of the set of studies which 21st of January 2000, is intended to provide assuranc- included the Final Independent Evaluation of the es and incentives for those willing to abandon rebel- UgDRP, Reporter Reintegration Survey and Commu- lion to do so without fear of retribution or revenge. In nity Dynamics Survey, and a study on the relation- other words, the Amnesty Act provided a means of ship between the Amnesty Commission and its DDR exit for those reporters looking to return home, while Implementing Partners study. The background field simultaneously the Government of Uganda (GoU) work and research for this study was integrated into pursued a military campaign against the remaining the overall background research and fieldwork for the insurgents, mainly the ADF and LRA. set of studies. As such the analysis benefits from as- pects of the other studies undertaken by NCG for the The Amnesty Act established the Amnesty Commis- World Bank/TDRP. sion (AC) and identified that among other monitoring and coordination functions the AC will “monitor pro- 1.1 Country Context grams of (i) demobilization; (ii) reintegration; and (iii) resettlement of reporters”3. A seven member demobi- The historic origins of conflict in Uganda lie in inter- lization and resettlement team (DRT), established by nal geopolitical dynamics including regional develop- the Act and under the supervision of the AC, was con- ment that neglected the North and North East of the stituted to “draw programs for: (a) de-commissioning country. The insecurity that persisted in the northern of arms; (b) demobilization; (c) re-settlement; and (d) regions has posed significant development challenges reintegration of reporters.” The AC through the DRT as well as peace and security challenges. In the north has maintained six offices as follows: Central, Gulu, of Uganda literacy rates remain the lowest in Uganda Kitgum, Mbale, Arua, Kasese and a liaison office in at 64%. The incidence of poverty is at the highest level Beni in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). (46.2%) nearly twice the national average (24.5%).2 When decomposed by sub-region the overall inci- The AC implemented the UgDRP between August dence of poverty in the North is driven largely by the 2008 and June 2011. It built upon previous DDR fo- North East sub-region. While there has been a decline cused support to the AC through the Multi-country in absolute poverty nationally the northern regions Demobilization and Reintegration Program (MDRP). remain trapped in a disparity in poverty and develop- The MDRP assisted in the DDR of 14,545 reporters ment with the rest of Uganda. Moreover the legacy of abductions, violence and internal displacement con- tinue to challenge the health and development of the 2 2010, Ugandan Bureau of Statistics. northern communities. 3 Amnesty Act, Section 8 (a) 6 at a cost of USD 4.2 million. The UgDRP was origi- in the process of social and economic reintegration to nally planned to be worth USD 8.254 million for the identify which drivers have most influenced (positive- purpose of bringing an end to the protracted conflict ly and negatively) the reintegration process in which in northern Uganda. In 2008 a single-country MDTF reporters are and have been engaged. Reintegration managed by the World Bank was established to imple- depends much on the welcome and dynamics of the ment the UgDRP. family and the community to which reporters return as well as the traits of the community (for example, The objective of the UgDRP has been to assist the ur- the condition of various economic markets including gent implementation of the agreed demobilization and markets for the skills in which some reporters have repatriation of the remaining caseload of the rebels been trained). Distinguishing between poverty as a of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) – as well as the result of failed reintegration and poverty largely unas- Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) and other existing sociated with reintegration requires that the analysis groups eligible for Amnesty – and to assist the social in the report applies a wider lens to the phenomenon and economic reintegration of former rebel combat- of reporter reintegration and the role of the family and ants and collaborators into the communities to which community. The study identifies the drivers of suc- they return, within the context of the Government of cessful or unsuccessful reintegration and the cross- Uganda Amnesty Act of 2000. A total of 28,800 ex- cutting dynamics such as gender, tradition, poverty rebel beneficiaries were planned to be directly tar- and economic markets that exacerbate the impact of geted by the project’s activities, with secondary ben- drivers of reintegration on the lives of reporters and efits expected for their families and communities. In communities. The report presents actionable findings so doing, the project as envisaged would contribute that can inform future programming in the area. to the consolidation of peace-building, reconciliation and enhanced security for the country as a whole, The term “drivers” of reporter reintegration refers to and its northern regions in particular. Of its five sub- a set of factors, either as a standalone or concomitant, components the UgDRP had four that were directly associated with reintegration. The causal relation- related to programming: demobilization, reinsertion, ship is sometimes indeterminate, although it can be dialogue and reconciliation, socio-economic reinte- positive or negative, but a clear association is evident gration. based on empirical information. “Drivers” is almost a synonym of determinants or a strong force. 1.3 Defining reporter reintegration 1.4 Purpose of the study In this study the focus of the analysis is on processes of reintegration rather than the achievement of a stat- The overall purpose of the study is to provide an ic marker of reintegration. In other words rather than analysis of the drivers of reintegration and to identify examining the experience of reporters to identify the the distinguishing features of successful reintegration ones who are reintegrated and the ones who are not, amongst reporters. the study examines the complex interplay of elements The Drivers of Reporter Reintegration in Northern Uganda 7 2. Methodology The methodology consisted of three dynamics: primarily by their responses to questions in the quan- titative survey about: (i) their economic reintegration; i. Document review (ii) their social reintegration, and (iii) their percep- ii. Qualitative survey tions of their own reintegration. The sample from this study was drawn from the fol- iii. Analysis lowing locations: The study benefits from a comprehensive document review that is shared for the whole set of studies con- ducted for the World Bank and the AC. The document Table 1. Sample points review included three categories of documentation: (i) project documentation; (ii) comparative research and Town/ District Region Sub- evaluation for TDRP countries, and (iii) comparative Settlement Region studies across DDR particularly those pertaining to reintegration. Kitgum Kitgum Northern Acholi 2.1 Sample and community Gulu Gulu Northern Acholi characteristics This study’s sample of reporters was purposively se- Koboko Koboko Northern West Nile lected from the 410 reporters surveyed by NCG Dk for the quantitative study: Reporter Reintegration and Community Dynamics, which was conducted concur- Yumbe Yumbe Northern West Nile rent with this qualitative study. The quantitative study gauged the degree to which reporters are reintegrated nationally and the experience of their communities in All locations are in the Northern Region where the the processes of return and reintegration of reporters. main rebel groups have been the Lord’s Resistance It surveyed reporters and community members across Army (LRA) and the West Nile Bank Front (WNBF). the following dynamics of reintegration: (i) basic de- As noted above, in development parameters the mographic indicators; (ii) housing, food security and northern region is severely challenged. It is generally personal security; (iii) economic issues; (iv) social accepted that the region remains trapped in a dispar- capital, and (v) experience of DDR processes. For ity in poverty and development with the rest of Ugan- the purposes of selecting a sample of reporters that da, and that the legacy of abductions, violence and in- represented successful, moderately successful and un- ternal displacement continues to challenge the health successful reintegration, 23 reporters were selected and development of the communities there. 8 Interviews were conducted over a two weeks period controlled by the reporter so they are able to put their (19th August 2011 to 4th September 2011) in Kitgum, family and economic affairs in order before joining up Gulu, Koboko and Yumbe districts in Uganda (see or in some cases take their families with them. This 2.1.2). A total of 23 reporters were interviewed – 12 enables a systematic approach for the maintaining of males and 11 females. Interviews were semi-struc- the kinship, social relations and economic affairs dur- tured, lasted between 45-120 minutes and a female in- ing their absence, which makes it easier to return to terpreter translated during the interview. In a quarter the homestead when leaving the conflict. These de- of the interviews, return interviews were conducted cisions could affect the capital available for sustain- for verification purposes and to explore issues of ex- ing the reporter upon return. For instance, surplus periences during conflict and family problems after livestock could be sold, decisions to store seed rather return with a focus on barriers to reintegration. than plant seed could be made and acreage of land cultivated could be reduced. The first part of the interviews was recorded and fo- cused on the reporters’ description of their process of WNBF reporters engaged with the formal amnesty demobilization and obtaining their Amnesty Certifi- process after sensitization from community leaders cate, escape and returning home, reception by fami- and it appears that some were motivated by the prin- lies and neighbors, feelings at different periods since ciple of amnesty and some by the prospect of obtain- obtaining amnesty and their positions as member of ing reinsertion payments.4 Field team interactions families and communities. During the second part of with WNBF reporters were characterized by well- the session, there was no digital recording and the in- functioning information channels, and turn-out by terview took the form of a more open conversation entire families of WNBF reporters to attend the con- touching upon delicate issues such as sexual violence sultations for all studies. These observations and the and abduction. The interviews highlight differentiated findings from other reintegration surveys indicated processes of reintegration across the 23 interviewees. that that in general WNBF are well reintegrated in The reporters have faced and continue to face diverse their community. As such for WNBF reporters many challenges influenced by their age, gender, former of the indicators of imperfect social and economic armed group and disability (both physical and psy- reintegration are more symptomatic of development chological) and their reintegration is constrained by challenges than of failed reintegration. structural lack of economic development and condi- tions of profound poverty in the areas of settlement. All LRA reporters are spontaneously self demobilized or captured by the UPDF or DRC forces during mili- 2.2 Armed groups tary exercises against the rebel group. At some time It is important to draw attention to key characteristics all of the LRA reporters consulted during the survey of the sample group and next situate the group within have engaged in battles and ambushes with the UPDF, the context of key characteristics of the communi- in Uganda, DRC or Sudan. LRA reporters tend to ties in which the reporters live. The sample consists carry the physical and psychological sequels of the of roughly one third WNBF reporters and two thirds war experience, which for some are sufficiently invali- LRA reporters. dating that conducting regular livelihood activities is compromised. The LRA reporters in our sample were For many WNBF reporters the path to amnesty has children when they were abducted and incorporated been long and has mainly consisted of a pattern of for- into the rebel group. Around half of the sample stayed mal demobilization followed by receipt of amnesty 10 in captivity for a prolonged period and the brutality to 15 years later during the AC’s work to reach demo- of the fighting has left several with severe physical se- bilized reporters without amnesty during the UgDRP quels. These characteristics match findings from other (2008-2011). Most WNBF reporters volunteered to studies.5 join the armed group, and were on the whole older than the LRA reporters when joining, hence they were further along their life trajectory when enlist- 4 The UgDRP Phase II contained a reinsertion component which sought to give amnesty and reinsertion assistance to reporters who de- ing. This implies the life trajectory was more clearly mobilized between 2006 and 2008 and had spent the requisite minimum defined, hence easier to return to. In addition to this, time in rebellion. the idea of volunteering implies the time of joining is 5 For example, SWAY 2006 The Drivers of Reporter Reintegration in Northern Uganda 9 Half of the LRA reporters had returned between 2003 the sample consists of two reporters resident in towns and 2005, and the other half more recently in 2009-10. (both Kitgum) who had never shifted, one reporter All have gone through formal demobilization, reinser- resident in a peri-urban location (on the outskirts of tion and reintegration process upon return. LRA re- Gulu) and eighteen who live in rural settlements. porters tend to be particularly fearful of re-abduction and some have been abducted multiple times by the rebel group. This has lasting effects on the perception of safety and trust by the reporters.6 6 It is documented that 66.8% of reporters have high trust in people in their community compared to 66.7% of community members. 13.7% of reporters identify low trust compared to 17.3% of community mem- 2.3 Environment bers. This is the biggest variance across the assessment of trust and soli- darity. For female reporters, 54.8% of them trust people to a high degree, As seen above, the sample was drawn from the report- compared to 58.8% of female community members. When examined by mean score, LRA and ADF reporters trust people in the community ers in the towns of Kitgum, Gulu, Koboko and Yumbe; least, a finding which corresponds to the tendency for LRA and ADF to however these are not the points of residence of all the socialize less with people outside their gender and age, suggesting that these groups of reporters have trust issues affecting their wider reintegra- reporters. The location of the home of the reporters tion. This is also a behavioral symptom of trauma following prolonged (and the migration pattern if any) are contextual is- conflict. NCG 2011 (b) Reporter Reintegration and Community Dynamics Survey. Dr. Anthony Finn et al. sues that can affect the reintegration of reporters. The 7 (ibid) sample in this study does not have a significant migra- 8 Of the sample two reporters are resident in isolated rural home- tion pattern. Only 6 of the 23 reporters migrated and steads, one male LRA reporter near Pukonyo Oguru in Gulu district and only once each but it is evident that that the migration the other a female LRA reporter in Ladek Okwok in Agago district. Both of these reporters are encountering difficulties reintegrating. In the case rates are higher in the unsuccessfully reintegrated re- of the male reporter who returned to where he grew up his economic porters. Thus 17 of the 23 reporters ended up in the reintegration challenges are related to limited kinship networks and to restricted access to assets including traditional knowledge. This reporter original area (most likely the homestead) from which spent his entire reinsertion assistance on hired labor to build him a hut they departed when volunteering or being abducted. because as he identified, he was abducted at such a young age he had not received the traditional knowledge from his family on how to build Regarding place of residence, it is documented that a dwelling. In particular this 27 year old male is dependent upon his reporters in peri-urban and urban locations near father who lost most of the family land through unregulated division. Kampala present particular indicators of poor social His social reintegration is challenged by an absolute lack of trust in the community, continuous fear for his personal safety including a fear of his and economic reintegration and have the lowest so- neighbors and a perception that he has no future prospects in employ- cial capital of any group of reporters when collated by ment, education or reintegration as he defines it. The female reporter is highly marginalized and her economic reintegration challenges include location. However, it is also documented that report- very limited and dysfunctional kinship networks, chaotic personal life ers in isolated rural homesteads have greater difficulty and significantly changed life circumstances while in captivity as a result of trauma and exclusion because of time in the bush. Her social reinte- becoming financial stable than reporters in peri-ur- gration is restricted because of the nature of the restrictions on her eco- ban locations where, for example, challenges such as nomic reintegration and chaotic personal life with multiple partners and four children from different fathers. It is also challenged by her history of access to markets and the condition of transport links stigmatization and identification branding as being ‘Chen’ (possessed, in are not as significant.7 Some of the sample reflects this this instance by a river spirit but ‘Chen’ can also be understood as a cul- tural signifier that her behavior is not befitting the cultural norm or the analysis but the challenges or drivers to their reintegra- social moral code). Identification as possessed suggests that the reporter tion are more complex and multifaceted than location may have dissociative symptoms and experienced multiple traumatic events, which is likely in this individual and constitutes a further barrier alone. However there is a correspondence between lo- to reintegration. See for example Duijl et al (2010) for further examina- cation and successful reintegration.8 The remainder of tion of possession and mental health. 10 3. Drivers not directly linked to the DDR process This section of the report considers economic and so- 3.1 Social acceptance and networks cial drivers of reintegration and factors pertaining to reintegration that are not immediate consequences of Social acceptance and social networks refer to the formal and informal methods families and communi- a formal DDR process (section 4). Some of these fac- ties have of welcoming back reporters, the degree to tors can be either enablers or inhibitors of reintegra- which reporters are actively accepted and welcomed tion depending on how they are used (for example, by their families and by their communities, and the kinship networks). How they are used and how they degree to which reporters can gain access to family, exist alongside other drivers such as access to assets community or institutional assets such as land, credit and the intergenerational transmission of traditional and financial support. Social reintegration is based skills constitute the most influential drivers of suc- upon the successful accessing of pre-existing family cessful reintegration. Where not present or not func- networks, gaining acceptance by the family, accessing tioning appropriately to support the reintegration of where available family supports including moral and reporters—for example, where family through kin- economic supports. ship networks deliberately inhibits the social rein- tegration of reporters or work to prevent economic The following discussion examines patterns of reinser- reintegration—the reporters screened are part of a tion, kinship networks, access to assets and communi- highly vulnerable group. However there are cross-cut- ty networks as drivers or where indicated facilitators ting factors that can positively or negatively exacer- of reintegration. It is prudent to note that when the reporters surveyed for this study are analyzed across bate the impact of these drivers including: (i) gender; the complete set of indicators for social reintegration, (ii) general income poverty, and (iii) local economic those who are less successfully reintegrating socially conditions. These factors are not drivers of reintegra- are more likely to observe that their marginalization tion but do affect the influence and impact of drivers. from the community is a result of them not participat- For example, in general being a female reporter rather ing and not involving themselves in the community than a male reporter will negatively influence rein- rather than as a symptom of discrimination. Similarly tegration as will certain dynamics of being a female those who are more successfully reintegrating socially reporter such as whether or not a female reporter has are likely to identify that there is neither discrimina- children who were born while she was part of a rebel tion nor marginalization of reporters in their com- group. Similarly certain dynamics of just being a fe- munity. Consequently it can be observed that from male in Northern Uganda will influence reporter re- the perspective of the reporter much of the challenges integration, for example, the traditional prohibition of they face are not emanating from the community, women owning land. rather they are structural issues pertaining to pov- The Drivers of Reporter Reintegration in Northern Uganda 11 erty, or acute issues pertaining to family and kinship Appropriately structured and functioning kinship net- networks that result in them either lacking the appro- works are key drivers of reintegration. The importance priate tools, skills and supports to successfully reinte- of kinship networks are: (i) they enable reporters to grate or result in them facing specific barriers to their re-settle; (ii) they facilitate the interaction of reporters reintegration. The drivers of social reintegration are with the general community and often help inform the structures that enable reporters to reintegrate. The the community reaction to particular reporters; (iii) facilitators of social reintegration are the absence of they provide immediate material support (akin to barriers and the appropriate conditions (socially and reinsertion assistance and short-term reintegration economically) that allow reintegration to happen. supports) where available including access to family assets such as land; (iv) they provide for longer term When reviewing the degree to which each reporter is economic support including informal credit, and (v) empowered both the more successfully reintegrating they provide emotional support; for example, through reporters and the less successfully reintegrating tend the relationships with the household members report- to believe they have similarly high levels of agency ers are able to narrate their experiences which assists regarding making important decisions that could with reintegration. Obviously the absence of kinship change the course of their life. However more success- networks means that none of these benefits can be de- fully reintegrated reporters believe that they have to a rived and the protracted absence of kinship networks large or medium extent the power to make important during a reporter’s time in captivity means that inter- decisions whereas the less successfully reintegrated generational and traditional knowledge and skills are tend to believe they have little power. In other words not transmitted, which can have a subsequent impact the more successfully reintegrated have the ability and on reinsertion and reintegration. power to affect personal change whereas the less suc- cessful have the ability but little power. The drivers When not functioning appropriately, kinship net- then are the elements that enable reporters to have the works either fail to provide any support for reintegra- power to affect change. tion or as the degree of dysfunctionality increases, kinship networks can be used by family as a means to 3.1.1 Family and kinship networks inflict harm on individual reporters and inhibit their The fundamental importance of social networks is social and economic reintegration. that by participating in and being a part of social net- Reporters face challenges when being reunited with works, reporters find acceptance, reconciliation and their family. In the case of the LRA reporters in this pathways to economic and social reintegration. At the heart of any social network is the family and gener- ally for reporters there are two types of family: their 9 In some cases, for example with some WNBF reporters, whole families volunteered or spouses joined each other in rebellion and so family which they left behind when they were ab- were not divided by abduction or volunteering. ducted or when they volunteered, and the family they 10 Female reporters are significantly less likely to be married than constructed through marriage (acquisition of their male reporters: 16.5% of females are married monogamous and 14.6% married polygamous whereas 46.6% of males are married monogamous spouse’s family) and having children.9 The role of mar- and 24.6% are married polygamous. Similarly marriage separation rates riage in the maintenance of kinship networks is that it and the frequency with which the spouse had died are much higher in females than in males: 14.6% of female reporters are separated from enhances the social and economic base of the family their spouse and 27.2% are widows compared to 3.6% of male report- and leads to the improvements of the kinship net- ers who are separated and 2.0% who are widowers. As can be expected currently the largest proportion of LRA reporters are single adults who work. Traditionally marriages are arranged through never married (37.6%), followed by married (29.1%). Of WNBF report- agreement between the bride and groom’s families. ers 41.7% and 36.7% are married monogamous or married polygamous respectively. Statistics around marriage breakdown including attitudinal Although there is a certain level of leeway for the indicators pertaining to whether or not those unmarried reporters in the bride and groom to seek their own union, these sel- survey would marry another reporter reveal that there are explanatory conclusions why female reporters have such a low marriage level. Female dom advance without the family patriarch’s consent. reporters are more likely to be married to a male reporter than a male Male reporters returning to the household are often reporter is to be married to a female reporter: It was found that of those who are married, living together, divorced or separated (that is, not sin- able to resume their intended trajectory by marrying gle) 43.3% of female reporters have at any one time been involved with a suitable spouse, whereas female reporters, through a reporter compared to only 12.2% of male reporters. Female reporters are among the least desired group for marriage in the community. NCG stigma, often amplified through the presence of a child 2011 (b) Reporter Reintegration and Community Dynamics Survey. Dr. born in the bush, face obstacles to marriage.10 Anthony Finn et al. 12 study, most had similar return trajectories consisting The reintegration issues pertaining to children born of escape and surrender to UPDF or DRC forces. Fol- to the female reporters while in captivity are: (i) they lowing capture, reporters in this study tended to fol- are considered an economic burden for the family; (ii) low a series of relocations which in the case of LRA re- often no maintenance or assets can be raised against porters consist of eventual transportation from DRC the birth of the child, for instance, a child born out to Gulu via Sudan and Entebbe. In Gulu or another of wedlock under cultural norms can be used to ob- regional centre, some reporters received rehabilitation tain a ‘cash fine payment’ from the father’s family, or and some vocational training before being returned to be used to negotiate a good bride price or dowry, but their families. In most cases families visited reporters these children born in captivity do not enlarge the as- while they were in reception centers. sets network of the household (due to the unknown parental lineage, or not wanting to keep ties with the Most WNBF reporters in this study self-demobilized father, a factor for instance when conception was and returned to the homes and where relevant the through rape or forced circumstances), and (iii) they families they had before the conflict. Occasionally are perceived as constituting a social or cultural prob- these reporters returned via an army barracks or via lem is that the bloodline is non-patriarchal, which can a host family. go against conservatism in the Ugandan society. In Analyzing across the two groups to see which group addition to the basic challenges of reabsorbing report- experienced a better welcome by their families it ers back into families often struggling with poverty, would appear that on the surface there is no real dif- there are additional factors linked to stigmatization ference between the level of positive welcoming and and exclusion of female reporters, particularly those acceptance. However, on deeper analysis it can be with children. These factors include the following: seen that situations where the dysfunctionality or re- (i) the perceived economic burden to the family of stricted size of some kinship networks can be particu- supporting the reporter and their children, and (ii) a larly detrimental to the social reintegration of report- lack of acceptance of the value of full reintegration of ers particularly when they are female or when they are reporters or understanding of the reasons to accept female and have children who were born in captivity. back family members who often spent a long time in captivity. In the case of female reporters who have re- Examples of how kinship networks can be used to turned without a spouse but with children, the fact negatively influence the reintegration of reporters that they have children is also perceived as a barrier are: (i) misappropriation of reinsertion payments; (ii) against them ever establishing a family of their own. stigmatizing and deliberate exclusion from the family; In some cases these women can find support in the (iii) violence against returning reporter family mem- families of their children’s father but in many situa- ber; (iv) negatively impeding the social reintegration tions this is not possible. of the reporter in the community, and (v) denying ac- cess to kinship assets. The misappropriation of rein- There is a risk that those children who are merely sertion payments by family and the family stigmatiz- tolerated by the extended family without being as ing returned reporters are more likely to happen to actively excluded as some will not be best socialized female reporters than male reporters. or included in ordinary household activity. The out- Stigmatization by the family can take various forms come of such a scenario is their poor socialization, including a lack of welcome or physical violence and marginalization from the kinship network. Po- against returning reporters. For this study female re- tentially this lack of integration of children labeled as porters, particularly those with children, tended to “rebel children” will develop into a significant source endure particularly extreme stigmatization, psycho- of social problems in northern Uganda. While no logical and physical violence including assault and children were interviewed in this study, some report- threats of death. For females with children born while ers articulated their hopes and aspirations for their in captivity, stigmatization and rejection can be bru- children, and described the abuse leveled against their tal or sometimes designed to separate the mother and children, and prejudice they have received. Female re- child, for example, providing support such as basic porters feel that when their children are rejected by food to the mother and refusing to provide any for their kin networks, they themselves are rejected and her children. stigmatized. The Drivers of Reporter Reintegration in Northern Uganda 13 Establishing one’s own family is universally perceived agricultural equipment or how to process produce. by reporters as a crucial milestone on the journey to- Access to assets via kinship networks is a significant wards full reintegration and as such those reporters driver of economic and social reintegration. Access to who have managed to create a full traditional family land improves the immediate reintegration opportuni- unit believe they are more reintegrated than those ty and provides reporters with land for subsistence ag- who have not. Reporters surveyed who were striv- riculture and the potential to sell excess good harvests ing for a family and believed that one day they would to generate income. Extra agricultural production of- have a family were hopeful regarding this aspect of ten depends on the ability to hire labor or to purchase reintegration. Those female reporters who have chil- of hire agricultural machinery such as an ox plow. The dren from the time in captivity tended to have more manual hoe is often unsuitable for some reporters be- chaotic relationship patterns and in many cases had cause of physical impairments and disabilities usually endured GBV from violent spouses. Generally these incurred through work during captivity or in combat. women understood that they had little chance of ever Because reporters are less successful than non-report- establishing a family outside their children and so ers in accessing credit and because newly reinserted their unit (mother and children) tended to be some- reporters have little if any chance of accessing scarce what isolated away from extended family suggesting a microfinance, family credit is another key asset which risk of intergenerational breakdown of family ties. when available greatly contributes to the early estab- lishing of a pattern of economic reintegration.13 It can Marriage is an important step to reintegrating com- be observed that reporters who have accessed both munity ties. It is the acquisition of the primary social family land and in some situations informal credit ap- unit, the basis of the family and in many cases is the pear to be more reintegrated than those who did not. acquisition of wider immediate social safety nets in On return and reinsertion, quicker access to land and the form of the spouse’s family. It is also a means to ac- informal credit also means that reporters are able to quire land through regulated division11. For reporters diversify their livelihood strategies, thus facilitating to who are excluded from or cannot access these path- become better established economically. ways to reintegration, the result is that they are more isolated, more at risk and poorer than other family As with accessing kinship networks, some female re- members and other reporters. The study shows that porters face additional challenges accessing family the value of women in the kinship network is second- assets primarily as a result of traditional land own- ary to that of men. In the family, girls hold a social and ership and not as a result of being a reporter. How- economic purpose as a means of raising capital in the ever returning from captivity is a contributing factor. form of a dowry that can be articulated through the Those female reporters who were poorly reintegrat- transfer of land or livestock.12 The returning female ing tended to experience barriers accessing land and reporters are further undervalued as they are no lon- accessing family credit. On occasion female reporters ger able to raise a dowry due to their lack of virginity, who returned to live only with their mother encoun- with the child born in captivity as a constant reminder tered additional difficulties due to their mother’s lack to the household, and hence the value of the female of land ownership as a result of enforced traditional reporter is diminished further to the family. land ownership patterns. In some cases their mother was involved in land dispute over the unregulated di- 3.1.2 Access to family, communal or institutional assets 11 Regulated division of land is division of land through formal prac- Access to assets is the extent to which a reporter is tices such as inheritance or sale. Unregulated division refers to division given access to one or both of the following: (i) family of land that is not formalised by norms or legal frameworks such as land grabbing or forcible removal of access. assets such as land, informal credit or business/liveli- 12 One female LRA reporter discussed this issue and remarked: “My hood strategies; and (ii) their own assets which were mother keeps saying that she is bitter with me because she did not gain in place prior to their time in captivity including: land, anything, since no man has ever come to pay dowry for me.” savings, businesses and access to institutional support, 13 Only 13.0% of reporters have applied for micro-credit from a financial institution despite reliance on informal credit to meet everyday and (iii) traditional knowledge, such as how to work expenses and that credit is a factor informing reporters understanding of the land, knowledge about when to plant, how to use their economic 14 vision of land and the women in the family had been resuming studies including tertiary level studies and excluded from accessing any arable land. It should be in living relatively free of the more extreme forms of noted that this is not the universal experience of fe- poverty. It is not surprising then that reporters who male reporters and it has been identified that many can resume a positive life trajectory in this manner are hold written land titles. reintegrating better than those who cannot. The interrelation between social and economic rein- 3.1.4 Community acceptance tegration is multifaceted and complex but in the case Corresponding with general trends for reporter re- of kinship networks and access to assets, particularly integration, most of the reporters in this study were in the early stages of reintegration access to produc- welcomed by the community on their return. Com- tive assets such as land allows reporters to avoid what munity acceptance of reporters is a significant enabler would appear to be the most prevalent form of stig- of reintegration and represents an absence of enforced ma: labeling as poorer than others in the community. barriers to reintegration. It is vital to the reintegration In general the level of negative stigma that reporters processes in which reporters engage. Community ac- have experienced is not high. A partial explanation of ceptance of reporters is largely based on positive un- this is that communities are largely welcoming of re- derstandings that reporters do not constitute a notable porters but another aspect is that when reporters are threat to the peace and security of the community.14 asked to elaborate on any marginalization they have experienced they respond that stigma or marginaliza- From the reporters surveyed for this study, there ap- tion is based on their poverty and lack of opportunity pears to be no correlation between participating in to generate income. Consequently those reporters traditional or religious ceremonies on return and the who manage to establish themselves economically, level of acceptance by the community. Rather, most perhaps on parity with other members of the com- were welcomed by the community and those who ex- munity also managed to largely avoid the application perienced difficulties did so in the context of econom- of this stigma. ic stigma or in the case of female reporters, stigma as a result of having children born while in captivity. Regarding access to own assets, this largely corre- sponds with a resumption of life trajectory report- The absence of any noticeable community hostility ers had before rebelling or being captured and is not to reporters and the tendency for reporters to experi- common for the reporters in this study. Few of the re- ence acceptance by community members indicate an porters consulted for this study who were abducted at absence of significant barriers to social reintegration. a young age and spent an extended time in captivity However, barriers remain that are a consequence of have been able to resume the life trajectory as it was the experiences of some reporters; for example, fe- before they were abducted: they have not returned male reporters with children and in one of the cases to education, they have not returned to a family un- for this study those with HIV encounter barriers to altered by time or by the conflict and they have not social reintegration in so far as they have difficulty returned to work in which they were engaged prior getting married into a strong relationship and build- to abduction. In most cases reporters have adopted ing a traditional family. Furthermore some reporters subsistence agriculture, often combining this with with disabilities are stigmatized and other obstacles to another economic activity in the informal economy employment as they do not have the physical strength such as trading in clothing or commodities or us- to engage in manual labor. ing acquired skills such as carpentry or tailoring (see 3.2.2). However in some instances reporters have been able to access networks and supports in which 14 Reporter and community members share a positive perception of security and agree on key indicators of safety and the likelihood of a they were engaged prior to abduction. In these limited return to conflict. 84.6% of reporters and 79.4% of community members number of cases they are able to resume life with the confirm they never hear gunshots and 16.4% of reporters and 17.8% of community members identify that a return to conflict is likely. Any support of an institution such as the Catholic church. conflict that has arisen in communities is evident to have been everyday This support greatly eases the reintegration of the disagreement and quarrels which are mostly resolved without resort- ing to violence and not particularly linked to whether or not one party reporter. In these situations reporters are greatly as- is a reporter. NCG 2011 (b) Reporter Reintegration and Community sisted in physical and psychological rehabilitation, in Dynamics Survey. Dr. Anthony Finn et al. The Drivers of Reporter Reintegration in Northern Uganda 15 Community acceptance of reporters influences eco- clearly highlighted as a risk and unsuccessfully reinte- nomic reintegration. While not being a directly at- grated are those experiencing a complex interaction tributed driver of reintegration, it ensures that some of factors and who are likely to be female, with chron- barriers that may exist to prevent reporters from eco- ic pain or disability and with children born while in nomically reintegrating are not as significant as they captivity. Consequently at a basic level, it is difficult may otherwise be. Harassment and stigmatization to distinguish between those reporters in the sample appear colored by the economic status of individual who are successfully or unsuccessfully reintegrating. reporters or in some cases are linked with the diffi- It is only when reporters elaborate on the amount of culty families whose children remain in captivity or land they have (including changing level of land acre- unaccounted for have accepting reinserted reporters age and land acquisition processes), the limitations while their children remain gone. The study finds that (physical and monetary) on how they can work the community acceptance influences economic reinte- land, and aspects of their economic independence and gration in so far as once they can access capital and dependence that it becomes clearer that the following credit reporters do not experience unique barriers to are key drivers of economic reintegration and have trading or establishing businesses. In many cases re- subsidiary impact on social reintegration: (i) access to porters work together with non-reporter traders, for land; (ii) capacity to work the land; (iii) successful or example, pooling transport costs for wholesale goods, unsuccessful diversification of livelihood strategies. In or they can participate in the same economic associa- addition training received and market conditions are tions and groups as non reporters.15 factors influencing reintegration, which have direct For many of the reporters surveyed their major chal- relevance to future reintegration programming. lenges during economic reintegration are: (i) over- 3.2.1 Livelihood strategies coming the lost years of economic productivity during time in captivity; (ii) re-building social networks that Initially, most of the reporters surveyed for this report influence economic reintegration, and (iii) overcom- identified that they either self-employed in agriculture ing development challenges including chronic market and did not supplement their income in any way, or inactivity. To improve their chances of successful re- they were unemployed and had no income. However integration reporters must still quickly become able to on closer examination only the most vulnerable sub- economically sustain themselves and their family. sist with income from one livelihood activity (usually subsistence agriculture). As diversification of income 3.2 Economic livelihoods and access generating activities increases (and in some cases as to material support diversification increases to sectors outside agriculture) reporters become more obviously economically sus- Following is a discussion of how aspects of reporters’ tainable and generate higher incomes. There is no pat- livelihood and their access to material support (via tern of diversification but those reporters who appear kinship or community networks mainly) contribute to most economically vulnerable including females with overall economic and social reintegration. In general children born while in captivity are caught between an IGA or livelihood and material supports contribute to reintegration, but there are more subtle and diverse dependence on subsistence agriculture (either in one’s ways that reporters’ livelihood strategy and their abil- own lands, on rented lands or on family lands) and ity to work in what are usually depressed economic limiters of their ability to diversify including: (i) hav- markets can greatly enhance reintegration. 15 The majority (91.1%) of reporters who are members of associa- It is noteworthy that when analyzed for key indicators tions are members of associations with a mix of both reporters and of economic reintegration and indicators of poverty, non-reporters. Female reporters are the most likely to belong to reporter- only associations: 13.3% of those who have membership are members of most of the reporters for this study come within the reporter- only associations compared to 3.3% of males. WNBF reporters parameters for the general reporter population. They are also most likely to belong to reporter only associations (12.8%). Financial support and economic networking are the two most frequently had largely secure land tenure, similar land ownership noted benefits gained by membership of an association, 44.6% and 15.4% patterns to the rest of the reporter population, and respectively. LRA reporters are more inclined to identify economic net- working (38.5% compared to 6.7% of WNBF, 0.0% of ADF and 21.4% of similar food and income security patterns to the rest UNRF reporters). NCG 2011 (b) Reporter Reintegration and Commu- of the reporter population. The only group which are nity Dynamics Survey. Dr. Anthony Finn et al. 16 ing only a small amount of land to work; (ii) having wrap-around supports given to female reporters and no access to credit to rent more land or hire labor; (iii) male reporters by NGOs is significantly challenged by physical injury or disability inhibiting their ability to the conditions of the market. Throughout the study work their land. Often these limiters influence subsid- reporters (mainly female but it cannot be generalized iary economic activity; for example, cutting and sell- to one gender) who received training in craft-making, ing bamboo or working as casual manual agricultural tailoring and baking have found that the demand for labor (both of which are physically demanding jobs). their skills is so low that they rarely use them profit- For particularly vulnerable groups, increased access ably. Where groups of re-skilled reporters were sup- to communal land and micro-credit would be two ported by NGOs to form IGA groups and were given drivers of successful reintegration and would contrib- machinery and premises (for example sewing ma- ute to alleviating this aspect of the multi-dimensional chines and a workshop) much of the machinery has poverty trap in which they find themselves. Those re- been pilfered or the groups have simply disintegrated porters in this category are usually highly dependent because there is no local market for their skills. The upon informal credit from family members or bor- same situation applies to the male reporters in the rowing from other lenders just to meet basic house- study who are skilled craftsmen and carpenters. In- hold expenses; the majority are in debt at the end of stead of working mainly in an applicable field, they every month. work mainly in subsistence agriculture. Diversification of livelihood strategies appears most In summary a driver of successful economic reinte- successful when reporters manage to diversify into gration is the capacity to diversify one’s livelihood sectors outside agriculture where there is an active strategy. Reporters who have the capacity to diver- market. Those who stay within agriculture or diver- sify beyond agriculture appear to be better reinte- sify based on the agricultural product they can pro- grated and normally their diversification into trading duce (for example selling excess agricultural produce was originally enabled by access to micro-finance or when available or processing some produce for sale credit in their family. The economic activities of those such as the small scale production and vending of cas- reporters who are vocationally skilled or have been sava chips) have low economic stability. These extra vocationally skilled since demobilization as part of economic activities are highly dependent upon their their reintegration are often curtailed by seriously de- harvest, which is in turn influenced by the factors pressed market conditions. Collaboration on IGAs is outlined above (ability to tend the land and access to not an indicator of success or successful reintegration. micro-credit). Those who diversify in food but away In particular much of the collaboration identified by from their own harvest, for example buying and sell- reporters follows on from how individuals are placed ing pineapples at a profit, are marginally more suc- together in groups to be skilled by NGOs. cessful. It is a characteristic of these traders that they work collaboratively with reporters and non-reporters Most reporters in the study live in rural villages and to manage costs such as transport costs.16 based on the factors described above, it is recom- mended that reintegration assistance, particularly Vocational training is an indicator used to map suc- training, should focus on more holistic approaches cessful reintegration and the success or not of a for- to assisting in the development of local markets while mal reintegration program. As has been seen be- inputting into the training of reporters. A CDD inter- fore, female reporters have been effectively targeted vention that draws on the learning in existing struc- by training since demobilization (spontaneous or tures and programs such as NUSAF and which has formal) and they are more skilled than their female a strong micro-credit or micro-finance component, community counterparts. Both healthy and disabled females aged 18- 30 years are receiving skills train- 16 Those who diversify outside agriculture and into trading in second ing more than any other gender-age cohort, includ- hand clothes or other produce increase their economic stability and ing all males. Female reporters in this category show income but perhaps unusually in the sample for this study a boda boda rider has become the most financially successful individual through boda the highest skilling and out-perform their community boda and saving informally (lodging money with an uncle). counterparts.17 However, what is not obvious is how 17 NCG 2011 (b) Reporter Reintegration and Community Dynamics in many cases the impact of the training and initial Survey. Dr. Anthony Finn et al. The Drivers of Reporter Reintegration in Northern Uganda 17 could empower local communities and assist in stim- documented how reporters and particularly female ulating the development of local markets. CDD also reporters are far more likely to be chronically ill or has subsidiary effects such as strengthening social co- have psychological problems than non-reporters. In hesion and the perceived value of local government; the sample for this study, despite initially identifying but importantly it could increase the efficiency and as healthy, the majority of female reporters identified effectiveness and training that has been provided to chronic pain or displayed psychological trauma that reporters, for example by GUSCO, and prevent those inhibits their economic and social reintegration. The skills being unused and the physical infrastructure relevant conclusion for DDR programming is that ap- (such as machinery and premises) falling into disre- propriate screening, rehabilitation and disability or pair or becoming redundant. illness-sensitive skilling would be a driver to success- ful reintegration by enabling reporters to manage the 3.2.2 Human capital barriers presented by their own physical and mental For the purposes of this study “human capital” refers health.19 to literacy, training, health and the capacity to resume life trajectory as it existed prior to time spent in the The question of whether or not a reporter can suc- rebel group. Levels of social and economic reintegra- cessfully reintegrate can be rephrased partially as a tion correspond with levels of literacy and numeracy question of whether or not reporters can resume a but not with educational achievement as it has been life trajectory that is similar to the one they had be- documented. Reporters who are more successfully re- fore captivity. Many factors converge or diverge to integrating are able to read and write and those who influence this capacity including the ones already dis- are not successfully reintegrating tend to have poor to cussed in this report: kinship networks, parenthood, no literacy and poor numeracy. The negative influence community acceptance, education, livelihood strate- of poor literacy and numeracy includes limiting the gies and so forth. For reporters to resume a life simi- ability to acquire a vocational skill or effectively and lar to the one they would likely have had if they had independently manage cash-flow. The disparity in lit- not been in captivity, the social and economic factors eracy and numeracy between female and male report- must converge and they must be capable of resuming ers is also documented and the sample in this study that life. In cases where reporters have successfully re- reflects how female reporters are more likely to have sumed an expected life trajectory they have returned literacy and numeracy issues.18 Similarly, responses to a similar family structure, to acceptance from their correspond with findings identifying that reporters family and from the community and they tend to have accurately perceive their educational attainment and a basic level of literacy and numeracy. In very limited their literacy and numeracy to be of a lower standard instances reporters have returned to a highly struc- than that of their fellow non-reporter community tured life similar to the one they had prior to abduc- members. As identified in section 3.2.1 female report- tion, for example, with one reporter who had been a ers appear to outperform non-reporters in training however the highly challenging market conditions 18 Community members have higher literacy rates than reporters somewhat limit the impact of vocational training. both in reading and writing and in reading or writing only. Differences in literacy are increasingly striking across comparative groups: 37.3% of Health is another factor that can enable economic and female reporters in comparison to 64.9% of female community members are fully literate. Similarly 61.8% of male reporters in comparison to social reintegration and poor health or the lack of ad- 84.7% of male community members are fully literate. In an age group equate rehabilitation during demobilization and rein- comparison the most striking difference is between reporters in the 18-30 years bracket where 55.8% of reporters are literate in comparison tegration can greatly inhibit reintegration in particular to 90.4% of community members.NCG 2011 (b) Reporter Reintegration economic reintegration. Reporters do not always fully and Community Dynamics Survey. Dr. Anthony Finn et al. identify the level of physical challenges they face as a 19 During demobilization all reporters are to be afforded health screening to facilitate treatment or rehabilitation. Health screening result of injuries acquired during their time in captiv- includes examination and diagnosis of psychological and physical health ity. On deeper investigation reporters who originally and disability. For the NCG reporter Reintegration and Community Dynamics study in the sample, 397 of the target of 410 were formally identified that they are healthy often appear to have demobilized during the UgDRP, between 2008 and 2011. In the survey, chronic pain issues or partial physical disabilities as a only those reporters that self-identified as disabled were asked to indicate whether or not they were screened for disability on demobilization. In direct result of time in combat. Even working from the total, of those disabled and currently undergoing treatment, 17.1% had first level of data collected for this study, it has been been screened for disability (ibid). 18 seminarian when abducted and who reintegrated with and can become highly marginalised and endure sig- the help of the Catholic Church. But often it is the case nificant challenges to financially support their family. that three key factors inhibit the capacity of report- ers to resume a life trajectory: (i) physical and psy- 3.3 Conclusion chological trauma as result of captivity; (ii) changed Following are the conclusions that can be drawn re- life circumstances as a result of time in captivity, for garding: (i) drivers of reintegration that are indirect to example, where female reporters return with children the DDR process, and (ii) the factors which influence who have been born in captivity, and (iii) depletion or DDR but are not direct drivers. loss of kinship assets such as from the sale of land to meet short term financial needs or from the unregu- 3.3.1 Drivers of reintegration lated acquisition of land by others. The agents of reintegration are reporters, their fami- The degree of physical and psychological trauma en- lies and the community but there are key structures dured by reporters can greatly inhibit reintegration. and processes which positively and negatively influ- At a basic level there are those reporters with iden- ence the reintegration of reporters including: (i) kin- tified physical trauma and disability some of whom ship networks; (ii) access to family assets and credit; have received or are receiving treatment or rehabili- (iii) diversification of livelihood strategies particularly tation. Those who have received treatments are often outside agriculture; (iv) access to credit; (v) educa- still at a significant economic disadvantage because tional attainment, and (vi) human capital. of the physical limitations placed on them by their trauma or disability. Then there are those with physi- The importance of kinship networks is as follows: cal trauma which is not always visible and is often (i) they enable reporters to re-settle; (ii) they facili- undocumented; for many there has been little direct tate the interaction of reporters with the general com- treatment of such trauma. This group of reporters munity and often help shape the community reaction is highly vulnerable particularly economically, and to particular reporters; (iii) they provide immediate when a major impairment like this corresponds with material support (akin to reinsertion assistance and one or more other factor which influences reintegra- short-term reintegration supports) where available tion, for example, a dysfunctional kinship network, including access to family assets such as land; (iv) they the chances of successful reintegration are significant- provide for longer term economic support including ly reduced. The same analysis can be given to those informal credit. However kinship networks can also reporters with psychosocial trauma, of whom there be used negatively to restrict the reintegration of re- would appear to be a limited number who have re- porters; for example: (i) misappropriation of reinser- ceived treatment. Prevalence is loosely indicated by tion payments; (ii) stigmatizing and deliberate exclu- how throughout the course of the fieldwork for this sion from the family; (iii) violence against returning study and the companion studies reporters occasion- reporter family member; (iv) negatively impeding the ally experienced difficulty continuing with consulta- social reintegration of the reporter in the commu- tions due to the trauma of revisiting their history or nity, and (v) denial of access to assets. The centrality discussing the dynamics of the present. of kinship to enabling reintegration and the tendency The major change in life circumstances that can inhibit for vulnerable groups, particularly female reporters reintegration is where female reporters have returned with children born while in captivity to experience with children who were born in captivity. In the worst hostility and exclusion by family, would suggest that case scenario, the children are rejected by the report- DDR programming in Uganda or elsewhere should ers’ family, and kinship networks become highly dam- comprehensively target the family during commu- aging and stigmatising. In some part this is driven by nity sensitization and preparation for reinsertion. the primary economic burden of the children, in part DDR programming should also include a dialogue it is driven by how having children that reporter may and reconciliation component that adequately targets have difficulty establishing a family in civilian life, and the families for vulnerable reporters to openly resolve in part it appears to be driven by shame or stigma. where possible elements of exclusion of vulnerable Female reporters with children are a high risk group reporters. The Drivers of Reporter Reintegration in Northern Uganda 19 Access to assets and credit includes the extent to 3.3.2 Influencers of reintegration which a reporter is given access to one or both of The study has found that there are some main influ- the following: (i) family assets such as land, informal encers of reintegration and these are: (i) gender; and credit or business/livelihood strategies; and (ii) their (ii) market conditions and economic productivity. own assets which were in place prior to their time in captivity including land, savings and business. Access Gender is a significant influence on reintegration pri- to assets via kinship networks is a significant driver marily because female reporters face far more reinte- of economic and social reintegration. Access to land gration challenges based on cultural and traditional improves the immediate reintegration opportunity, gender dynamics and based on how their gender provides reporters with land for subsistence agricul- means that their life circumstances are frequently ture and with the potential to sell excess good har- radically altered during their time in captivity.20 On vests to generate income. The issue of land and land the basis of their gender, female reporters, particu- conflict in Uganda is well documented in numerous larly those with children, tend to endure particularly studies however this study would suggest that DDR extreme stigmatization, psychological and physical programming should have a strong JLOS component violence including assault and threats of death. For which contributes to ensuring that reporters have females with children born while in captivity, the stig- equal access to justice when seeking to resolve any is- matization and rejection can be particularly brutal. sues regarding unregulated land division. Also, this study would suggest (see also 3.3.1 iv and 3.3.2 (iv)) Some key perceptions inform the barriers that chal- that reintegration programming should include high lenge the reintegration of female reporters, particular- quality CDD components including ones with a focus ly those with children including: (i) the perceived eco- on community-based micro-finance. nomic burden to the family of supporting the reporter and their children; (ii) a lack of acceptance of the value Diversification of livelihood strategies, particularly of full reintegration of reporters or understanding of outside agriculture, is a driver of successful economic the reasons to accept back family members who often reintegration. Reporters who have the capacity to di- spent a long time in captivity; (iii) the social burden of versify beyond agriculture appear to be better reinte- having a female household member that possibly may grated and their diversification into trading is often never marry, and (iv) the perceived cultural obstacle originally enabled by access to micro-finance and/or of accepting children of a non-patriarchal bloodline credit in their family. The economic activities of those into the family. reporters who are vocationally skilled or have been vocationally skilled since demobilization as part of Some female reporters face additional challenges ac- their programmatic reintegration are often curtailed cessing family assets primarily as a result of traditional by seriously depressed market conditions. land ownership and not as a result of being a reporter, however returning from captivity is a contributing Education and training: There is a correlation be- factor. Those female reporters who were poorly rein- tween poor literacy and numeracy and problematic tegrating tended to experience barriers accessing land economic reintegration. The negative influence of and accessing family credit and those female reporters poor literacy and numeracy is wide and in the case who have children from the time in captivity tended to of numeracy can limit the ability to acquire a voca- have more chaotic personal relationship patterns and tional skill or effectively independently manage cash- difficulty creating their own family. The result is likely flow. The disparity in literacy and numeracy between to be that barriers to reintegration that are informed female and male reporters is also documented and the by negative traditional perceptions of gender gradual- sample in this study reflects how female reporters are ly transform into systematic exclusion of women and more likely to have literacy and numeracy issues. This forced poverty for those women without the social or would suggest that programmatically, reintegration assistance where possible should include education in basic literacy and numeracy in order to make up for 20 For a more comprehensive analysis of the reintegration challenges experienced by female reporters and which is outside the remit of this some of lost education opportunities encountered by study see NCG 2011 (b) Reporter Reintegration and Community Dynam- reporters as a result of their time in captivity. ics Survey. Dr. Anthony Finn et al. 20 economic capital to establish themselves independent female and male reporters. The severe development of hostile kinship networks and restrictive traditional challenges in Northern Uganda drive how those re- practices where they occur. porters who are re-skilled during reintegration or return with pre-existing or acquired skills such as The programmatic implication of this is that a DDR carpentry often cannot use those skills because of the program should be highly gender sensitive and dove- absence or lack of market demand. This restricts the tail with other development and post-conflict and sta- ability of reporters to diversify their livelihood strate- bilization interventions that positively target women gies and in many situations enforces dependency upon and seek to reform harmful traditional perceptions subsistence agriculture, thus creating risks to food of gender and the social manifestation of same in, for and income security and ultimately contributing to example, GBV, which would appear prevalent among long-term poverty. The programmatic implication is reporters. that reintegration programs could be greatly comple- Market conditions are significant enablers or inhibi- mented or enhanced by an increase in CDD interven- tors of economic and concomitant social reintegra- tions that draws on the learning in existing structures tion. Market conditions challenge the impact of the and programs such as NUSAF and which has a strong training and initial wrap-around supports given to micro-credit or micro-finance component. The Drivers of Reporter Reintegration in Northern Uganda 21 4. Drivers directly linked to the DDR process S ection 3 discussed drivers that are largely ex- Amnesty Act and the principle of amnesty are driv- ternal to the DDR process but which have rel- ers of political reintegration. However the study notes evance to DDR programs and in particular the that comparatively it appears that political reintegra- provision of reintegration supports. Following is an tion may be less successful than social and economic analysis of those elements within the formal demobi- reintegration primarily because it is not programmat- lization process in which the reporters sampled in this ically addressed in the same way. For the reporters in survey have been engaged and which have produced this study, political reintegration has been targeted observable impact for the sample.21 This section of the through programmatic support at reception (prior study also addresses two additional aspects of reinte- to reinsertion) that focused on non-violent means of gration: the factional reintegration and political rein- conflict resolution and the concept of citizenship. In tegration of reporters. It identifies whether or not the order to be more effective the supports should be re- DDR process drives the factional or political reinte- introduced during vocational training and focus on gration of reporters. Factional dimension of reinte- the topics such as local government, democracy, hu- gration requires that command structures have been man rights and gender. broken down and to a large extent this is the case with the reporters in this study.22 The social and economic The study finds that the formal demobilization pri- networks of the LRA reporters in this study do not marily contributes to the reintegration of reporters contain a bias towards reporters and there is no evi- in this study by: (i) meeting some of the immediate dence that they benefit economically from any former medical and psycho-social needs of the reporters that command structures. Ties to other reporters largely without treatment would have inhibited their ability come through kinship networks where siblings or in to engage in any livelihood activity, and (ii) support- some cases spouses also spent time in captivity. For ing those who received a reinsertion payment to in- WNBF reporters in this study, there is no tendency vest not just in immediate needs but as in most cases to derive benefits from former command structures in an IGA. Other aspects of reception and reinsertion, but, like the LRA reporters, there is contact with other reporters through social and kinship networks. 21 For a full evaluation of the Amnesty Commission’s UgDRP including an analysis of all sub-components see NCG 2011 (a) Final Political reintegration requires that reporters have Independent Evaluation of the UgDRP 2008 – 2011. Dr. Anthony Finn acquired faith in democracy and in the democratic 22 This corresponds with the general trend for reporters, see NCG 2011 (b) Reporter Reintegration and Community Dynamics Survey. Dr. structures of the state. This study describes the degree Anthony Finn et al. to which reporters have faith in the workings of the 23 There is insufficient data to discuss political reintegration from state in principal and what drives them to do so.23 The the perspective of the extent to which reporters resort to democratic or civil means for resolving disputes and why they do so. For a wider and study finds that initial contact with the UPDF, and the more in depth discussion of political reintegration for the whole reporter treatment of most reporters in accordance with the population, see ibid. 22 for example, coaching newly demobilized reporters well and disproved their suspicions that they would in reception centers about life skills and non-violent be harmed or that they would be treated as enemies. conflict resolution possibly contribute to preparation In the one case where there was a negative impression for reintegration, but in this study there is no firm in- of the UPDF, the LRA reporter was a mid level com- dicator that it has. Rather in the sample here and in mander and was forced to work with the UPDF to lo- other companion studies there are some contrary in- cate LRA bases in DRC.24 This points to the practice of dicators which suggest that reporters when in conflict the UPDF detaining reporters including children that with each other still communicate in such a way as to is not discussed in this study but which, through oth- alienate them from other non-reporters in the com- er studies including the NCG Implementing Partners munity. For example, the reporters relate how disputes study for the World Bank (2011), is recorded or dis- concerning collaborative IGAs have broken down into cussed. The initial contact with security forces (both hostile verbal exchanges (not physical violence) and army and police) is an early stage driver for politi- the violent overtones to their communication in such cal reintegration and, when combined with the early situations can alienate non-reporters. The program- coaching of reporters in peaceful conflict resolution, matic reintegration supports (where received) have can influence how reporters behave (for example, the also contributed to their reintegration. extent to which reporters resort to democratic or civil means for resolving disputes and not violence) and 4.1 Programmatic demobilization can inform aspects of psychosocial wellbeing that in- fluence social reintegration. For example, only two of There are different means through which reporters the reporters in this group believe their reintegration demobilized and different reception pathways that has been affected by their belief that they are under they have followed. For the sample in this study the surveillance by the security forces or that they have LRA reporters have a different set of return patterns something to fear from them. However, both of these when compared with the WNBF reporters. Half of reporters face other social and economic barriers to the LRA reporters returned between 2003-05, and their reintegration. Regardless, their belief that they the other half more recently in 2009-10. All have are being surveyed and their fear of the security forc- gone through some formal demobilization, reinser- es negatively affects the degree to which they allow tion and reintegration processes upon return but the themselves to participate in their community and so experience is not exactly the same. However most stunts social reintegration. have been involved with multiple actors including the UPDF, reception centers, rehabilitation centers run by It appears that WNBF reporters are more politically NGOs such as GUSCO and World Vision, the Am- reintegrated. In general WNBF reporters are half as nesty Commission and local traditional leaders, local likely as LRA reporters to resort to violence to resolve counselors and local government. For many WNBF a dispute and nearly all WNBF reporters believe that reporters, the path to amnesty has been a long one resumption of war is unlikely compared to less than and has mainly consisted of a pattern of formal demo- half of LRA reporters.25 The more successful political bilization followed by more recent receipt of amnesty. reintegration of WNBF reporters in this study is likely driven at least in part by how all but one reporter vol- 4.1.1 Political reintegration unteered but also by how the WNBF have had a much The extent to which reporters have trust in the institu- longer time to reintegrate. tions of the state is one of the first points of measure- ment of political reintegration. LRA reporters tend to have been demobilized following initial contact with the UPDF and were often held by the UPDF from 24 The sample of LRA or WNBF does not include all ranks of report- between two to three weeks to two to three months ers in the rebel hierarchy but there is a suggestion from our mid-level during which time they were interrogated and be- commander that he faces (and others of same or more senior rank) gan physical rehabilitation where relevant. The first additional barriers to reintegration. He claims he endures rejection and threatened recrimination because as a mid-level commander he is body of the state with which the LRA reporters had perceived as responsible for abductions and violence inflicted on the contact was the Ugandan army and in all except one community by the LRA where “normal” abductees are not. case reporters identified that the UPDF treated them 25 NCG, 2011 (b) Reporter Reintegration and Community Dynam- ics Survey. Dr. Anthony Finn et al. The Drivers of Reporter Reintegration in Northern Uganda 23 4.1.2 Time comprehensively document how amnesty, the Am- nesty Act and the principle of amnesty are important Time is a factor that influences reintegration in a systemic dynamics which have positively contributed number of ways: (i) time in captivity; (ii) time since to peace-building, reconciliation and enhanced secu- demobilization, and (iii) time between spontaneous rity in Uganda. self-demobilization and amnesty. Time spent in cap- tivity influences the reintegration of reporters in so far In general the reporters in this study articulated that as the longer the time spent in captivity the longer the amnesty was not a driver of reintegration and that break in expected life trajectory and the more likely it was not of any particular significance or utility to it is that reporters will assume significant life changes them. Reinsertion assistance (often the motivator for that will negatively influence their reintegration in- obtaining amnesty even when the reporters were not cluding the acquisition of trauma and having chil- eligible for reinsertion payments but did not know dren. In some cases these influences can be success- that this was the case) was understood by some LRA fully surmounted by reporters who can obtain a good reporters as both a symbolic act and an important level of reintegration, but the journey to get there is early step to establishing themselves economically in more fraught with difficulty and challenges. In effect the community. Possibly the lack of thought given to the shorter the time that reporters are outside of their amnesty is related to the degree to which amnesty is usual life trajectory, the less socialization is lost, which perceived as instrumental, that is, the degree to which implies that they do not unlearn the accepted behav- reporters can directly employ it to achieve something ior, norms, customs, and traditions of their family and in life. To a great extent amnesty is not concretely in- communities. strumental however it is a cornerstone of the DDR process and guarantees freedom from prosecution Time since demobilization refers to the time that has for reporters. The reporters in this study are more fo- passed since reporters have returned from rebellion cused on the day-to-day challenges of carving out a either spontaneously or through demobilization. The living and dealing with reintegration challenges than study identifies that where barriers to reintegration the systemic implications of amnesty. It could be that are present reporters who are more recently returned the reporters in this study could be better sensitized tend to experience the effects of those barriers more to the value of amnesty through additional citizenship severely. For example, where support networks are or public awareness training. dysfunctional or not present, reporters who are more recently returned experience the effects more severely 4.1.4 Reinsertion assistance than those who have had time to navigate the barriers or, in the case of networks, create new networks.26 For this study the reporters who received reinsertion assistance are all LRA (WNBF demobilized or self de- This study finds that the time between spontaneous mobilized in such a manner or at such a time as to self demobilization (SSD) and amnesty does not ap- make them ineligible for reinsertion assistance). Re- pear to influence reintegration. However it is possible insertion assistance is intended to meet the immedi- that reporters who have a short time between SSD ate needs of reporters and so would be most effective and amnesty and who receive official reinsertion as- when given to newly demobilized reporters and not sistance may in the long term have fewer barriers or those who received reinsertion payments as part of the experience some barriers less severely depending on UgDRP clearance of the backlog of eligible reporters. how they used their reinsertion payment. Reporters in this study who were newly demobilized 4.1.3 Amnesty This study focuses on the drivers and influences of 26 However, this study is a snapshot of a particular stage of reinte- gration of the sampled reporters and so the findings of the study would reintegration for individuals and not on the systemic suggest that a longitudinal study of a sample of reporters to track their aspects of reintegration. To that extent the study does reintegration would offer a richer and more definitive account of reinte- gration over an extended period of time. In addition to the experience not find evidence of a direct influence of obtaining of the impact of barriers, the reporters who are longer returned tend to amnesty on the reintegration of individuals and there feel safer and more secure. This corresponds with findings which show in general that reporters’ perception of security and return to war improves are no instrumental drivers resulting from possessing over time. See NCG 2011 (b) Reporter Reintegration and Community an amnesty certificate. The NCG companion studies Dynamics Survey. Dr. Anthony Finn, NCG. 24 and who did not have their payment seized by fam- somewhat by the economic challenges being met by ily or misappropriated by family tended to use their reporters who are working in the same field of skills. repayment for multiple purposes including IGAs and In many cases the impact of the training and initial building a dwelling and for immediate needs of family wrap-around supports given to female and male re- and children such as clothing, food and education. As porters is significantly challenged by the conditions such reinsertion payments to those who were newly of the market. Where re-skilled reporters were sup- returned tended to have dual inputs: (i) meeting the ported in IGA groups with machinery and premises small, immediate needs of the reporter and depen- (for example with sewing machines and a workshop) dents and (ii) being part of establishing a longer-term much of the machinery has been “spoiled” (broken, income generating activity. possibly from poor storage or lack of maintenance), pilfered or the group has simply disintegrated because The study did not find that reinsertion assistance cre- there is no local market for their skills. The same situ- ated tensions but in other studies the payment of rein- ation applies to the male reporters in the study who sertion payment to backlogged reporters is identified are skilled craftsmen and carpenters. Instead of work- as contributing to the creation of tension in commu- ing mainly in the area in which they were trained they nities. In such instances payments were interpreted work in subsistence agriculture and try to find some as unfair rewards to rebels and supporters of rebel additional work in their area of skill. groups when the communities and particularly IDPs suffered extreme hardship as a result of conflict.27 4.2.2 Physical and psychological rehabilitation 4.2 Formal reintegration supports As identified above, health and disability are factors af- fecting economic and social reintegration. Poor health In general the formal reintegration supports for re- and disability can greatly inhibit economic reintegra- porters have included: (i) provision of vocational tion and so effective programmatic measures to: (i) training and supports by NGOs, community-based treat health issues, and (ii) target disabled reporters in organizations and international NGOs; (ii) referral to training and supports, can greatly enhance their ability socio-economic opportunities by the Amnesty Com- to reintegrate. In the sample for this study, few report- mission and community development officers and ers initially identified as disabled yet many had dis- provision of those opportunities primarily through abilities and chronic illnesses as a result of time in re- government programs such as Peace, Recovery and bellion. These disabilities included chronic pain from Development Plan (PRDP), the National Agricultural shrapnel wounds, visual or auditory impairment and Advisory Services (NAADS) and NUSAF.28 A num- very common post traumatic stress disorder. Secrecy ber of the programmatic opportunities that are pro- is understandable within a society that can be intoler- vided to reporters are gender and disability focused ant of people with disability generally and where some and there is evidence of a high female take-up of vo- reporters are particularly worried about exacerbating cational training. the perception of them by family and community as 4.2.1 Vocational training economic burdens. However, the consequence is that reporters who are ill but have not declared themselves The study found that female reporters received more as such can miss the opportunity to receive treatment vocational training than male reporters, which is in and have improved chances of reintegrating economi- line with the national picture as outlined in NCG cally. Those reporters in this study who have received 2011 (b). This clearly attests to the good intervention some treatment for chronic pain have also been better of other NGOs and charities in the field of skills train- able to engage in an IGA and take steps towards re- ing in Uganda. It was found that 9 of the 11 female integration. The implication for programming is that reporters compared to 3 of the 12 male reporters re- ceived skills training. Furthermore, 5 of 9 female re- porters that obtained skills training are working in the 27 2011 (a). Final Independent Evaluation of the UgDRP 2008 – 2011. Dr. Anthony Finn, NCG same field of skills, as compared to 1 of the 3 male re- 28 NGOs and state bodies are also service providers in return, de- porters that obtained skills. While this is a significant mobilization and reinsertion in Uganda. See NCG 2011 (c) The Amnesty uptake rate with the female reporters it is qualified Commission’s Implementing Agents in the UgDRP. Dr. Anthony Finn et al. The Drivers of Reporter Reintegration in Northern Uganda 25 appropriate screening, rehabilitation and disability or tegration of reporters. During reception many report- illness-sensitive skilling would be a driver to success- ers have first contact with the Ugandan state through ful reintegration by enabling reporters to manage the their interception by the UPDF. The initial contact barriers presented by their own physical and mental with the UPDF for the reporters in this study is posi- health.29 tive and contributes directly to the political reinte- gration of reporters by contributing to the trust they It is difficult to quantify the full extent of psycho-social have for the democratic institutions of the state. In no rehabilitation or counseling for reporters but the AC, small part the UPDF are enabled to act positively to in the lifetime of the UgDRP, has referred 632 report- reporters because of the Amnesty Act which pardons ers to such supports. Similarly the commission has all reporters within its very wide parameters. Conse- referred 383 for health related support and 8 report- quently the systemic impact of the Amnesty Act real- ers for physical specialized support. Of the sample for ized through the activities of the UPDF is a driver for this study most exhibited or spoke about stress and the successful political reintegration of reporters. violent experiences during the conflict and how these episodes haunt them, suggesting trauma or a condi- Time is a factor influencing the reintegration of re- tion such as PTSD. None have ever been treated for porters: (i) the longer time spent in captivity, the lon- psycho-social issues. It is likely that these issues are ger the break in normal life trajectory, and the more not being detected during reinsertion or reintegration likely it is that reporters will assume significant life and as such it is possible that the sample group rep- changes that will negatively influence their reintegra- resents a much larger group of reporters with mental tion, and (ii) where barriers to reintegration are pres- health problems and who are not being treated. This ent reporters who are more recently returned tend to does present long-term barriers to reintegration. experience the effects of those barriers more severely. Reporters who experience verbal or physical abuse Reinsertion packages and payments to those who from family or community (all of the less successfully were newly returned tended to have dual inputs: (i) reintegrated reporters in this study) are presented meeting the small, immediate needs of the reporter with significant barriers to social and economic re- and dependents and (ii) being part of establishing a integration. Labeling as “olum” (rebel) is a common longer-term income generating activity. Reinsertion stigma applied to these reporters and it undoubtedly supports then contribute to the reintegration of some contributes to their difficulty reintegrating as well as reporters. adding to pre-existing mental health issues. As out- lined in section 3, some children of reporters who Reintegration vocational training does impact the were born while in captivity endure a similar labeling livelihood strategies of most reporters who received as “rebel children” and it is clear that despite the rela- it but training could be greatly complemented or en- tively positive view of reintegration there continues hanced by an increase in CDD interventions drawing to be issues with community and family stigmatizing on the learning in existing structures and programs reporters and children of reporters thus adding to the such as NUSAF and which have strong micro-credit stress they endure and creating barriers to social re- or micro-finance components. integration. Reporters in this study who have received some treat- ment for chronic pain have also been better able to 4.3 Conclusion have an income generating activity and take steps Other than medical treatment for physical or psycho- logical illness and vocational training, there is very 29 During demobilization all reporters are to be afforded health little interaction between the reporters in this study screening to facilitate treatment or rehabilitation. Health screening and formal reintegration processes. Following are includes examination and diagnosis of psychological and physical health and disability. For the NCG Reporter Reintegration and Community the conclusions that can be drawn regarding drivers Dynamics study in the sample 397 of the target of 410 were formally of reintegration that are directly linked to the DDR demobilized during the UgDRP, that is between 2008 and 2011. In the survey, only those reporters that self-identified as disabled were asked process. to indicate whether or not they were screened for disability on demobi- lization. In total, of those disabled and currently undergoing treatment, Experiences during reception drive the political rein- 17.1% had been screened for disability. 26 towards reintegration. The implication for program- programming should be strongly gender sensitive and ming is that appropriate screening, rehabilitation and contain some work targeting the eradication of GBV. disability or illness-sensitive skilling would be a driv- er to successful reintegration by enabling reporters 4.5.5 Community-drive development is one possible to manage the barriers presented by their own poor solution to the collection of interdependent environ- physical and mental health. However there should mental inhibitors of reintegration which trap report- also be a wider program de-stigmatizing and de-mys- ers and non-reporters in income poverty. CDD can tifying mental health and developing long-term men- combat market stagnation and have important sub- tal health supports in the community to assist report- sidiary effects such as strengthening social cohesion ers and non-reporters cope with the long-term effects and the perceived value of local government. It would of conflict on mental health. also increase the efficiency and effectiveness of train- ing that has been provided to reporters for example, There are seven aspects of formal DDR that can be in- by GUSCO, and prevent those skills being unused and formed by the preceding analysis: (i) sensitization and the physical infrastructure being redundant. community preparedness; (ii) treatment of vulnerable groups; (iii) long-term physical and psychosocial re- 4.5.6 Citizenship, government and social awareness habilitation; (iv) broad issues of GBV or harm against training is critical to ensure that political reintegration female reporters; (v) CDD; (vi) political reintegration, does not continue to lag behind social and economic and (vii) the role of CFPs or successfully reintegrated reintegration. Citizenship training should encompass reporters. issues such as human rights, democracy, nation build- ing and gender, and its goal should be preventative: 4.5.1 Sensitization: Family and community accep- ensuring that, should disputes arise within the com- tance are important drivers of reintegration and as munity or the region, the risk of reporters taking up such DDR sensitization should effectively target the arms or return to insurgency is managed. This sort of two with particular emphasis on acceptance of vul- programmatic support also assists reporters to engage nerable groups. with democratic and civil institutions. 4.5.2 Vulnerable groups: particularly female report- 4.5.7 When discussing those reporters who are having ers would greatly benefit from a more comprehensive difficulty reintegrating, the reporters in the sample approach to sensitization but also to conflict resolu- who are more successfully reintegrating sometimes tion in families. label them as lazy, having poor morality, and anti- social. These are similar terms to how the community 4.5.3 Ongoing rehabilitation of reporters, both phys- labels some reporters and are the same descriptions ical and psycho-social, is crucial to enabling reporters used by the small cohort in the community who de- to “catch-up” with other members of the community. scribe reporters as threats to social stability and secu- Reporters, particularly those dependent on subsis- rity.30 The Amnesty Commission employs Commu- tence agriculture, are more vulnerable to food and nity Focal Points to liaise with the community and income insecurity because of undiagnosed and un- reporters, and it would appear that the strategy could treated physical injuries. Trauma is widespread and be widened to persuade reporters who have success- may develop intergenerational aspects particularly for fully reintegrated, including many of the CFPs, to be reporters’ children who were born while their parents examples of how reintegration can work, thus con- were in captivity and who are subject to marginaliza- tributing to combating stigma against other reporters. tion and exclusion. They could have a role in future community sensitiza- tion about reintegration particularly if for example, a 4.5.4 Gender-based violence, while not fully discussed CDD or NUSAF project was being initiated in a com- in this study, is a prevalent aspect of the marginaliza- munity and required participation of both reporters tion of female reporters and it originates in families and non-reporters. and between spouses. This violence is physical and psychological and builds on the often great trauma experienced by girls during captivity. It is a powerful 30 See NCG, 2011 Reporter Reintegration and Community Dynam- inhibitor of reintegration. Consequently reintegration ics Survey. Dr. Anthony Finn, NCG The Drivers of Reporter Reintegration in Northern Uganda 27 28