“A Conflict Does Not Rot”: State and Civil Society Responses to Civil War Offences in Mozambique

Article


Igreja, Victor and Skaar, Elin. 2013. "“A Conflict Does Not Rot”: State and Civil Society Responses to Civil War Offences in Mozambique ." Nordic Journal of Human Rights. 31 (2), pp. 149-175. https://doi.org/10.18261/ISSN1891-814X-2013-02-04
Article Title

“A Conflict Does Not Rot”: State and Civil Society Responses to Civil War Offences in Mozambique

ERA Journal ID211145
Article CategoryArticle
AuthorsIgreja, Victor and Skaar, Elin
Journal TitleNordic Journal of Human Rights
Journal Citation31 (2), pp. 149-175
Number of Pages27
Year2013
PublisherTaylor & Francis
Place of PublicationSweden
ISSN1891-8131
1891-814X
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.18261/ISSN1891-814X-2013-02-04
Web Address (URL)https://www.idunn.no/doi/abs/10.18261/ISSN1891-814X-2013-02-04
Abstract

This article analyses how state and non-state actors have tried to address the human rights violations and war crimes committed during the civil war in Mozambique (1976–92). While the political elite opted for amnesty laws, and urban civil society organisations remained largely on the side-lines, in rural areas, war survivors and the post-war generations have been actively engaged in dealing with the violent past through practices commonly referred to as local justice and healing. This analysis is based on parliamentary debates, interviews with state and non-state agents, and longitudinal field data from the rural areas of Gorongosa. It argues that while the state failed to institute accountability practices for wartime human rights violations, the ongoing vitality of local cultural practices of justice and healing have been crucial to attain accountability for certain serious wartime violations.

KeywordsCivil War; Gamba Spirits; Gorongosa; Human Rights; Local Justice; Mozambique; Transitional Justice
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020440204. Crime and social justice
441004. Social change
440107. Social and cultural anthropology
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Byline AffiliationsUniversity of Queensland
Chr. Michelsen Institute (CMI), Norway
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