Measures for Victims and Reparations

The 2010 survey repeated questions from previous surveys about what needed to be done for victims. Respondents could provide more than one response and most frequently identified providing cattle (74%), financial compensation (66%), housing (44%), food (38%) or education (38%). These measures, mainly forms of direct compensation to individuals, reflect respondents’ own priorities outlined previously in this report. They defined “victims” in broad terms, including the Acholi people (59%), all people of northern Uganda (35%), children (23%), women (20%), and everyone (20%). Almost all respondents (98%) considered themselves to be victims of the conflict.[1]

Almost all respondents (97%) also said victims should receive reparations, most often because they are believed to be poor and need it (49%), as a form of acknowledgement or recognition of their suffering (24%), and to help them forget (19%). In addition, respondents said most frequently that reparations should be given individually (46%), while 32 percent said they should be given to the community, and 20 percent said they should be given to both the individual and the community.

Figure 30: Measures for Victims

A majority of respondents (82%) said they would accept only community-level (and not individual) reparations if this was the only choice. Most (82%) were also willing to accept only symbolic reparation, such as an apology or a monument. However, fewer (36%) would accept victims receiving no reparations at all.

Figure 31: Reparations

[1] The question was asked last to avoid creating expectations and influencing responses.