Summary of Two Independent Finding on Conflict Dynamics of Adjumani Refugee Settlements

SUMMARY OF TWO INDEPENDENT FINDING ON CONFLICT DYNAMICS OF ADJUMANI REFUGEE SETTLEMENTS & THE HOST COMMUNITY

ORGANISATION / FINDINGS / RECOMMENDATIONS
Uganda Joint Christian Council
The LWF Humanitarian intervention recognized that there would be need to “Support Refugees and Host communities affected by the refugee influx to effectively settle in harmony.” This knowledge was based on previous experiences of refugee influx that encountered resistance from local communities. The concern for Adjumani was also based on knowledge that Adjumani communities had been to South Sudan as refugees and thereafter have had look-warm relations. A look at the Humanitarian service providers also showed that no other organization was addressing the matters of Peace Building and Psychosocial support. In order to plan how to accomplish the stated objective of promoting peaceful and harmonious relations a conflict assessment had to be conducted.

Establish nature, historical Context, and profile of the main conflicts to be addressed.
Establish linkages within the communities that can give the information on connectors and dividers and resources for peace.
The assessment was to identify the gaps that exist for Do no Harm and Psychosocial support as well as lobbying and advocacy.
Help to generate the work-plan to address the conflicts identified

/  The Nuer Dinka differences date back from the period of Garang Vs. Machar differences when Machar even joined North Sudan and fought SPLA.
 The 2012 refugees had already established normal homesteads just like the local community and some were able to produce food enough for their families, construct granaries for storage and sold some crops for improved welfare.
 Like many tribes in West Nile, Madi are said to have their origin from Sudan but were divided when the British colonial government set up administrative boundary. Some remained in Sudan, others in Democratic republic of Congo (DRC) and others in Uganda. The Madi in Sudan are known to be Kerepi and the ones in Uganda known as Erepi.
 it was established that there are conflicts within both local and refugees communities . The conflicts are characterized by frequent quarrels, which if not attended to could turn violent within the communities’ mostly over land and gender based violence.
 The greatest worry of the local communities is that the conflicts within refugees may turn into war or they may transfer the home conflict to Adjumani and this would destabilize the local communities, who may now have to run. The fundamental causes of these conflicts were also identified as shown below;
- Population Pressure
- Land/ resource shortage
- Cultural / Ethnic differences & intolerance
- Political / economic instability
 There is also fear among the minority tribes that if the major tribes continue their conflict within the camps they are likely to cause them trouble, to be displaced again or cause the tolerant local communities to demand their expulsion from Adjumani where they had settled in relative peace.
 Among the local communities however there has been an increase in conflicts over land due to population increase but also land appreciating in price as well as stories of oil under some of the lands. Some of the conflicts are to do with the post insurgency /IDP period and people kept moving and on return are faced with disputes over boundaries, and this is worse for women and orphans where the men in the homes died and some of the elders are not sure of boundaries. The emergence of the spirit of victimizing and land grabbing from women and orphans could also not be ruled out.
 Madi Vs. South Sudanese poor Relations: the Madi tribe is split by the International border between Uganda and Sudan. The Madi in Sudan are known as Kerepi while the ones in Uganda are known as Erepi. The two communities have relatives in both sides and they lived peacefully until 1979 war in Uganda. It the events that have precipitated a state of disaffection between the Madi of Uganda and some tribes from South Sudan.
 Rape cases, child abduction and conflicts arising from sharing water.
 The cultural leadership is cautious about land degradation and the unfulfilled previous pledges to the district by the central government.
 Madi Elders Forum: Concerned about the misuse of local facilities in the proximity of the camps ie, latrines full or destroyed, loss food from gardens arrogance in behavior and language by some tribes among the refugees. They also shared the dissatisfaction of community members whose relatives were mistreated in the recent past or even murdered in Juba and did not wish some Sudanese refugee tribes to be put near their villages. This was contributing to community reluctance to offer more land for settlement of refugees.

Traders felt there was good opportunity for business and they have taken advantage of this both within the town but have also established mobile outreaches to the camps. However they noted an attempt by the Urban South Sudanese refugee in Adjumani town joining in business and an attempt to edge the local Madi traders from wholesale through monopoly into retail. This development needs immediate attention before it degenerates into open conflict.

 From the information gathered the Primary Actors in the community’s conflicts include; the Madi tribe who have a history of relation with the South Sudan tribes as refugees themselves and also as hosts several times. The other primary actor is the SPLA that is strongly associated with the Dinka that is believed to have had a history of looting and killings during their insurgency, chased the Madi from Sudan and while in exile themselves in Adjumani and after Independence mistreated the Madi in Juba. The other primary actors are the other South Sudanese tribes, the Nuer, Morule who have had a history of conflict with the Dinka but also the minor tribes that have always fallen victim when the major tribes clash.
 Large number of children who are extremely stressed and there was urgency to address their emotional and educational as well as livelihood needs. 415 children separated from their parents, 68 unaccompanied, 57 raped or tortured and 1,255 orphans who saw their parents killed /  The zoning of refugees into ethic communities serves the immediate forestalling of confrontation but this must be turned into a connector by conduction awareness on peaceful living and propel communities to analyse the Sudanese conflict , separate the conflict from the people and work towards harmonious living but also understand governance issues, with the aim of working towards reconciliation.
 The communities must be helped to identify the triggers, proximate and root causes of the conflict that they are caught up in and how it has affected then as well as how they can be the catalysts for harmonious living.
 Peace Building and Reconciliation initiatives, including intra-ethnic dialogues between the rival groups should be promoted even while in displacement and exile

Dept. of Religious & Peace Studies, Makerere University
The study covered Ayilo 1, Boroli & Alere, and it sought to understand the conflict dynamics among the South Sudanese communities before and after they sought refuge in Uganda as well as their relationship with the host communities.
The areas of interest considered for interrogation included inter-ethnic relations, livelihood issues, relationships among refugees, humanitarian agencies and host communities, service rendered to refugees within the settlements, the challenges and appropriate remedies preferred for ensuring protection of refugees, enjoyment of human security and national stability; and promotion of peaceful coexistence and development. /  Ethnic and religious composition of the refugees shows that the Dinka, Nuer and Murle are the majority ethnic groups with most of them professing the Christian faith.
 Most of the refugees are aged between 19 – 30 years.
 Increasing number of refugees is potential for livelihood and identity driven conflicts since the big numbers exert pressure on the available services and infrastructure
 There are efforts in place to address the basic needs of the refugees varying from the social, economic and psychological ones (food, shelter, and health services in the settlements visited.
 Besides, the above services constitutes some of the sources of conflict, water and access to firewood are outstanding issues that form the basis for refugee – refugee and refugee – host community conflicts
 Ethnic clashes were also reported
 Gender – based violence fuelled by the cultural outlook violence was prevalent
 Perception that refugees attract more care and attention from both the government of Uganda and the international care and service – providers is prominent in the host communities.
 Indeed it was noted that there is a certain degree of better service provision to the refugees in comparison to the nationals in the indigenous communities whereby the proportion of service provision is 70%: 30% respectively.
 The general feeling among the refugees is that they deserve these services – and even better, while the host communities feel more of ‘refugees’ in their own homes since humanitarian service providers in most cases ignore their pleas for improved livelihoods to the level of those for the refugees.
 The report notes that the obviously accruing conflict dynamics pose security challenges if not attended to /  The study specifically calls for the design of responsive programs in knowledge, skills and training for refugee-service or care-givers, refugees, and host communities. This will greatly contribute to ensuring peace and security in the nation and region at large. It is hoped that once the refugees are trained and skilled in conflict management and transformation, on their repatriation, they will resettle, practice and pass on the acquired skills to their people back home, hence breaking the cycle of violence
 Concerted efforts of all stakeholders in addressing the potential conflict dynamics with a view to promoting peaceful coexistence among refugees and host communities
 Efforts should be put in place to avail relatively more proportional services, both hardware and software