This week I have been attending a film festival in Kampala, Uganda, run by Makerere University Law School and the Refugee Law Project, aimed at spurring discussion on ways forward in the country’s peace process.
While things are more peaceful these days, Uganda has suffered from a devastating conflict in its northern region for some 20 years. Over 1 million people were forcibly displaced into camps by government troops, 25,000 children were abducted by brutal rebel forces that believe they are divinely inspired. The country now faces the challenges of reintegrating former rebels, mostly abducted children. It struggles with hope best to seek justice and accountability while also recognizing the need for reconciliation.
Last night I saw a particularly impressive documentary called Uganda Rising (available from www.ugandarising.com) that delves into the roots of this conflict, tells the story of survivors and provides sophisticated analysis from academics and policymakers.
It is particularly good at placing the conflict in historical perspective. It shows that since its independence, Uganda has never had a peaceful transition of power. It calls attention to the despicably corrosive legacy of British colonialism, that governed through arbitrary divide and rule. These messages are delivered clearly and lucidly. The filmmakers are critical of many of the different actors involved – no one really comes away looking like an angel.
In parts, it is a difficult film to watch, with some violent and disturbing images. But one never feels this is gratuitous, it is a sobering and necessary reminder of humanity’s capacity for brutality.
However, the documentary’s strength is the way it allows children, former rebels, victims and government officials speak for themselves. By the film’s end one is impressed by the overwhelming strength of the human spirit to survive in such awful conditions. I was particularly moved to see children struggling to continue their schooling in spite of the horror that surrounded them.
This film is a must-see for anyone with an interest in Africa, conflict or learning about an area of the world too often forgotten by the West.
-Matthew Bolton
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