Uganda is currently facing internal sources of tension around issues such as land rights, possible changes to the constitution and future elections. In addition, the continuing arrival of people seeking refuge in the country from neighbouring states (in particular from South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi) means that Uganda now hosts the largest refugee population in Africa. Such a context highlights the importance of collecting civil society analysis on how local, national and international actors can engage in a conflict-sensitive manner to contribute to resilience and support peace in the country.

This meeting will bring together international and local civil society working in and on Uganda, to provide gender-inclusive assessments on the sources of tensions and instability, possible risks of conflict, and drivers of resilience and peace in the North-West and South-West of the country. Discussions will have a particular focus on the interface between local drivers of conflict and resilience (including those related to conflicts over land and to the national political context) and displacements. The participants will be invited to share their views on the dynamics, risk factors as well as sources of resilience to violent conflict at the state, societal and community levels.

The overall objective of the meeting is to gather civil society input on the situation in the North-West and South-West of Uganda and to consider possibilities for adjusting and deepening EU engagement. Specifically:

● To identify the root causes of tensions and risks for violence, the role(s) of different actors as well as the conflict and gender dynamics at play in the North-West and South-West of the country.
● To outline the links between sources of tension in these regions, in particular in relation to land issues and to the refugee situation.
● To identify the existing local, regional and international capacities for preventing and resisting violence and building sustainable peace, in order to explore how to support them.
● To gather recommendations on how to improve the conflict sensitivity of the EU’s current approach.
● To assess possible options for further EU engagement to address the interplay between humanitarian and development issues in these regions and contribute to conflict prevention and resolution.

For more information about this event, please contact Lorenzo Angelini.