Navigating the mystical: child soldiers and reintegration rituals in northern Uganda

Abstract

The argument has been advanced by scholars and activists alike that indigenous forms of justice and reconciliation practices should play some role in post-conflict societies. In particular, it has been suggested that indigenous mechanisms may assist with the reintegration of former child soldiers. Abducted child soldiers, sometimes forced to commit atrocities, can be perceived simultaneously as victims and perpetrators. Arguably, indigenous mechanisms may be better placed than formal state-organized or internationally-sponsored mechanisms to address such complex identities. Drawing on existing literature and qualitative interviews, this Chapter examines the use of indigenous rituals or ceremonies in the reintegration of child soldiers in northern Uganda. It provides a picture of the main reintegration rituals utilized in the Acholi sub-region, highlighting their mystical or spiritual elements and linking these rituals to the importance of the spirit world in Acholi cosmology. The Chapter also explores the approach of local and international actors to the return of child soldiers from captivity in the Lord’s Resistance Army, focusing on their perception of local approaches to reintegration. It ends by examining UNICEF’s perspective on indigenous mechanisms which, as the lead international agency for children, provided support to many of the actors operating in northern Uganda. The aim is to elucidate whether indigenous mechanisms were seen by organizations as compatible with their institutional ethos, be that founded on religious principles and/or child rights.