Geographical versus social displacement: the politics of return and post-war recovery in Northern Uganda

ABSTRACT

The civil war in Northern Uganda in the period 1986–2006 fundamentally altered former ways of life and created diverse and complex needs. Protracted conflict and displacement create, reveal, and enforce vulnerability, which can undermine resilience. Based on in-depth interviews with internally displaced persons and returnees, both before and after their return to Amuru District and Gulu District, this article argues that war and displacement constitute more than a temporary disruption. The physical and social wounds of war are engraved and embedded in people’s lives. Therefore, recovery interventions must take these effects into account to forge a new post-war future.

KEYWORDS:

• Conflict and reconstruction – Forced displacement
• Sub-Saharan Africa

Acknowledgements

I am indebted to the people who shared their heartfelt stories on which this article is based. Special thanks to ACORD, Gulu Office, and my research assistants for the tireless efforts and commitment. I am grateful for the constructive feedback from the anonymous reviewers. I appreciate the support received from the Department of Geography, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), and the copy editing by Catriona Turner.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributor

Sarah Khasalamwa-Mwandha is an Associate Professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) Trondheim, Norway. Her research focuses on issues of forced migration, humanitarian interventions, post-war recovery and disaster management.