Parliaments and Post-Conflict Justice: Amplifying the Voices of Children Born in LRA Captivity in Northern Uganda

Abstract

Introduction: This paper explores the intersection of parliamentary action and post-conflict justice in Northern Uganda, with a specific focus on children born in captivity during the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) insurgency. Methodology: The qualitative, participatory research design was employed, with the use of In-depth oral interviews, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), Key Informant Interviews, Document Review and Participatory Tools to collect the necessary data. Findings: Key emerging themes include existential crisis of identity, stigma and social exclusion, structural marginalisation and legal invisibility, psychological and intergenerational trauma, aspirations and the power of voice. Conclusions: The stories shared by children born in captivity, their mothers, and various community stakeholders reveal persistent exclusion and neglect. At the policy level, the voices of one of the policy makers confirm that the issue of children born in captivity remains an overlooked category in national development plans and post-conflict frameworks. Amplifying these voices is a moral and historical obligation, requiring a collective reimagining of community, policy, and tradition, one where inclusion is not conditional on lineage or legitimacy, but anchored in shared humanity. Recommendations: This paper argues that Parliament has both a moral and constitutional obligation to address the structural barriers confronting these children, targeted legislative interventions, and culturally sensitive integration programs. It further recommends psychological healing and mental health interventions, educational support and livelihood empowerment, religious engagement and faith-based support, and inclusive national dialogues that centre these children as rightful stakeholders in Uganda’s post-conflict future