Country Case Studies and reconciliation through a variety of means/mechanisms that include formal criminal trials, traditional justice, truth-telling, reparations and amnesty. The policy further seeks to address cross-cutting issues such as the protection of special groups (women and children) and other vulnerable groups, as well as witness protection. The challenge in policy development is how to adopt multiple mechanisms in a mutually reinforcing and complementary fashion so that there is no conflict or overlap between their mandate, functions and overall goals. The transitional justice policy in Uganda should aim at breaking the cycle of violence and promoting sustainable peace. Legacies of conflict in Uganda The role that traditional justice practices could play in a transitional justice process is related to the conflict’s legacies that communities feel require redress. A history of multiple conflicts and failed peace agreements has left a multiplicity of legacies that are far from uniform in Uganda and even vary between the Acholi, Lango and Teso sub-regions in the north. A common trend among these legacies is the trail of human rights violations that remain unacknowledged in any comprehensive way. At the core of these legacies lies a complicated and multidimensional set of mutual resentments, all of which need to be addressed in some way if full reconciliation is to be achieved. Efforts to address accountability, reconciliation, reparations and even the legitimacy of the current government have been sorely wanting. Uganda’s current legal regime emphasizes formal justice mechanisms derived directly from the British colonial common law model. Given the complex history of Uganda and its rich and numerous cultural heritages, there is a compelling need to explore opportunities for a comprehensive legal framework that addresses and reflects the people of Uganda’s sense of justice. Widespread perceptions that there is some kind of parity between the abuses committed by the government and those committed by the LRA have vital implications for any reconciliation process. Any such process will have to include the victims along with both LRA and Ugandan government perpetrators. Policy options at play Policy debate has emerged since peace talks between the Ugandan government and LRA began in July 2006. Agenda Item No. 3 and the Annexure propose a framework for Accountability and Reconciliation that carves out a potentially vital role for traditional justice practices. Clause 3.1 of the Agenda Item states that ‘traditional justice mechanisms such as Culo Kwor, Mato Oput, Kayo Cuk, Ailuc, 58 International Conference on Transitional Justice, Zimbabwe