For nearly twenty years, tens of thousands of families in Northern and Eastern Uganda have lived in the shadow of a conflict that stripped them of their dignity, their livestock, and their livelihoods. Today, that pain has transformed into a powerful movement for international justice. Moses Ogwang Adonyo, the leader of the Greater North United War Debt Claimants Association, has officially taken the fight for reparations to the African Union. This bold move comes after the Ugandan government reportedly failed to honor a definitive High Court ruling that awarded compensation to over 92,634 verified victims of the wars that ravaged the region between 1986 and 2008.
Speaking recently in Lira City following a high-stakes mission to the African Union headquarters in Ethiopia, Adonyo revealed that he used the AU Economic, Social and Cultural Council Citizens Forum to shine a global spotlight on a decade of domestic neglect. Despite a clear judicial mandate ordering the state to pay for the property and lives lost during the conflict, and despite the fact that the government never even appealed the decision, the victims remain empty-handed. For these thousands of survivors, the law has become a promise written in sand, and they are now calling on the continental body to ensure that justice is not just a word, but a reality.
While in Addis Ababa, Adonyo engaged in critical dialogues with some of the most influential legal and political minds on the continent, including the Registrar of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission. These discussions centered on a glaring flaw in the African justice system: the lack of enforcement. Adonyo pointed out that while courts often rule in favor of the oppressed, many governments simply choose to ignore the verdicts. This creates a culture of impunity that leaves citizens vulnerable even after they win their battles in a court of law.
The mission has already sparked a push for systemic change. A regional coalition is currently being formed to draft urgent amendments to the African Court’s legal framework. This initiative, which includes representatives from across East Africa and Nigeria, aims to give international human rights courts the “teeth” they need to hold sovereign states accountable when they defy judicial orders. Adonyo has been invited to help lead this effort, ensuring that the voices of Ugandan victims are at the heart of new continental laws.
The association has made it clear that they will not accept half-measures. They have officially petitioned the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, arguing that the Ugandan government’s attempt to replace court-ordered individual compensation with generic “household support” programs is a violation of their constitutional rights. They argue that a general government program is no substitute for the specific reparations owed to those whose lives were personally dismantled by war.
By appealing to the African Union and its member states, these 92,634 victims are demanding a return to the rule of law. They are calling for a future where a court judgment is a guarantee of justice, not an ignored piece of paper. Their struggle is no longer just a local dispute; it is a landmark test for the entire continent to see if Africa’s human rights institutions can truly protect its people when their own governments fail them.