| |
Genocide in Rwanda
The 1994 genocide was a carefully planned and executed exercise to annihalate Rwanda's Tutsi population and Hutus who did not agree with the prevailing extremist politics of the Habyarimana regime. One million lives were lost in only one hundred days. It is the fastest and most vicious genocide yet recorded in human history.
The 1994 genocide was by no means the first time that the then government of Rwanda attempted to annihalate sections of the population they believed were opposed to their politics. throughout the 1960s the government of Rwanda launched vicious attacks on Rwanda's Tutsi population, resulting in a mass exodus into neighbouring Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya and Congo. For the first time in Rwanda's six century long history, a large portion of the people of Rwanda became stateless, and were denied the right to live in their motherland. For the first time in Rwanda's long history, the Rwandan leadership preached a message of division, hate, and violence to the population, resulting in repeated cycles of genocide.
Other cycles of genocide occured in 1973 and 1979. In 1990, after the commencement of the struggle by the RPF to liberate Rwanda, the government launched yet another cycle of genocide. Between 1990-1994, the bagogwe people of Northern Rwanda were targeted by the Habyarimana regime, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths. There were similar attacks orchestrated against people of kibuye, Butare and elsewhere in Rwanda. On assuming power in July 1994, the Government of National Unity made it among the highest priorities to apprehend and bring to justice the perpetrators of these crimes. Thousands have been arrested and await trial, while some have already faced justice. The Government of National Unity believes that the people of Rwanda should reconcile after many decades of division and hatred. However, it is pertinent to the reconciliation process that Rwandese feel that justice is being done. There can be no reconciliation without justice.
|
|
The sheer bulk of genocide suspects and cases due for trial has placed severe strain on Rwanda's criminal justice system which is already crippled by poor infrastructure and the death of professional during the genocide. Rwanda's prison's are heavily congested, and the cost of feeding and clothing prisoners is a drain on the economy.
The lack of an adequate number of prosecutors, judges, and lawyers to try cases exacerbates the already bad situation. At the present rate, it would take over 200 years if Rwanda was to rely on the conventional court system to deliver justice.
The Government of National Government decided to ease pressure on the criminal justice system by categorizing genocide suspects according to the crimes of which they are accused. Category 1 - the 'planners,organizers, instigators, supervisors and leaders' of the genocide numbering 2,133, will be tried in the conventional courts. Categories 2-4, where involvement was slightly less serious, will be tried in traditional community courts or GACACA courts. This new process will significantly speed up trials and sentencing.
The GACACA courts also have the advantage of involving the community in the trial and sentencing process. The Government of National Unity believes that involving the population in the trials can also contribute significantly to reconciliation.
The government has also made it a priority to develop the criminal justice system. Special training has been provided to Magistrates and Judges, while courts around the country have been renovated. A national police force has been created and charged with civil security matters and criminal investigations.
CATEGORIZATION OF OFFENCES RELATING TO GENOCIDE
The Genocide Law of the Republic of Rwanda categorizes the crimes of Genocide and crimes against Humanity as follows:
Persons accused of offences set out in Article 1 of this organic law and committed during the period betwenn 1st October 1990 and 31st December 1994 shall, on the basis of their acts of participation, be classified into one of the following categories:
Category 1:
Persons whose criminal acts or whose acts of criminal participation place them among the planners, organisers, instigators, supervisors and leaders of the crime of Genocide or of a crime against humanity.
Persons who acted in positions of authority at the National, Prefectorial, Communal, Sector or Cell level, or in a political party, the army, religious organizations or in a militia and who perpetrated or fostered such crimes.
Notorious murderers who by virtue of the zeal or excessive malice with which they committed atrocities, distinguished themselves in their areas of residence or where they passed.
Persons who committed acts of sexual torture or violence.
|
|
Home
::