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Some 800 people chosen to preside over traditional Gacaca courts in Rwanda have been undergoing "solidarity training", in order to share experiences in the functioning of Gacaca jurisdictions, the Rwanda News Agency (RNA) reported on Monday.
"The solidarity training brought together people of integrity in Kigali city so as to plan for the task ahead to have justice done in Rwanda," Aloysia Cyanzayire, president of Gacaca courts, was quoted by RNA as saying.
The Gacaca courts seek to expedite the trials of those accused of genocide crimes, to reveal the truth about what happened during the genocide, to end the culture of impunity in Rwanda, to reconcile Rwandans and strengthen ties among them, according to the Rwandan government.
At least 8,000 courts were due to begin operations in 2004 for some 100,000 genocide suspects awaiting trial in Rwandan detention facilities, RNA reported.
In the absence of a functional justice system able to cope with the challenge of judging over 100,000 prisoners, and with limited support from the international community to strengthen that system, Gacaca revives traditional and affordable means of resolving conflicts based on pre-colonial Rwandan culture. [See IRIN's special report on hopes for reconciliation under Gacaca court system, at http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=31241]
During the Rwandan genocide of 1994, Hutu extremists killed about 800,000 Tutsis and politically moderate Hutus during a 100-day period.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
