“A Conflict Does Not Rot”: State and Civil Society Responses to Civil War Offences in Mozambique
Article
Article Title | “A Conflict Does Not Rot”: State and Civil Society Responses to Civil War Offences in Mozambique |
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ERA Journal ID | 211145 |
Article Category | Article |
Authors | Igreja, Victor and Skaar, Elin |
Journal Title | Nordic Journal of Human Rights |
Journal Citation | 31 (2), pp. 149-175 |
Number of Pages | 27 |
Year | 2013 |
Publisher | Taylor & Francis |
Place of Publication | Sweden |
ISSN | 1891-8131 |
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. |
Keywords | Civil War; Gamba Spirits; Gorongosa; Human Rights; Local Justice; Mozambique; Transitional Justice |
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020 | 440204. Crime and social justice |
441004. Social change | |
440107. Social and cultural anthropology | |
Public Notes | Files associated with this item cannot be displayed due to copyright restrictions. |
Byline Affiliations | University of Queensland |
Chr. Michelsen Institute (CMI), Norway |
https://research.usq.edu.au/item/v1z15/-a-conflict-does-not-rot-state-and-civil-society-responses-to-civil-war-offences-in-mozambique
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