Countries urged to fight crimes against humanity, genocides

Over 200 state representatives and international civil society organisations from over 34 countries are attending the Global Action Against Mass Atrocity Crimes at Kigo discussing the different ways in which states can develop policies that realise prevention of mass atrocities including genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing among others.

These note that mass atrocities are currently taking a whole wrong direction citing countries like Syria, the sufferings of the Rohingya community in Myanmar and others like Uganda who are suffering spillovers of refugees due to the crimes.

The UN special advisor on the prevention of genocide Dr. Ivan Simonovic says;

“Societies are more diverse but intolerance is on the rise, we have seen the spread of violence extremism and widening conflict that are characterise by disrespect of international laws and fundamental human rights.”

“You have seen the manipulation and misuse of religion to promote hatred and sometimes promote violations that sometimes tantamount to atrocity crimes,” he added.

The conference is aimed at pushing governments and civil society to develop policies and advocacy strategies that realise good practice in not ending legacies of atrocities but preventing reoccurrence.

While officiating at the conference, second Prime Minister and minister for East African Community affairs Kirunda Kivejinja welcomed the efforts of the conference added that Uganda has suffered both directly at the hands of the LRA but also indirectly through the spillover of refugees from neighbouring countries.

Kivejinja added that the only way to realize prevention of mass atrocities, governments need to take the primary role in preventing and avoiding report of atrocities against their own people.

“The responsibility of preventing mass atrocities lies primarily with the government because here you must know that the people who collect all the means of coercion and atrocity are governments,” he said.

He added that to this effect, Uganda has put in place various measures to ensure commitment to the process.

“For instance following the end of atrocities against our people in northern Uganda government set up several initiatives such as ensure justice and accountability for all crimes committed, ensure continued prevalence of peace.”