07.12.07 - RWANDA/GACACA - EXTRAORDINARY IBUKA CONGRESS IN CONNECTION WITH THE GACACAS

Kigali, 7 December 2007(FH) - Ibuka (Remember), the principal collective of associations of Rwanda genocide survivors, held Friday an extraordinary congress to make an assessment of the gacaca courts.

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Mr. Naphtal Ahishakiye, head of the memory department within the collective, explained to the Hirondelle agency, in Kigali, that with partners of justice and associations of genocide survivors, they planned "to discuss ways in which the gacaca courts can end in respecting the objectives that they were assigned".

This extraordinary congress followed a recent Ibuka report which criticized, among others, the quality of the gacaca trials, the interference of the authorities, the uncontrolled acquittal and release of "génocidaires ", the insecurity of survivors and witnesses and the hiding of the truth.

This report recommends the revision or the repair of these failures, in particular by a fair administration of justice against authorities that were involved in the genocide, the revision of the trials of persons acquitted on the basis of corruption and the harmonious organization of Work of General Interest (WGI).

Representatives of the widows of the genocide, orphans, heads of households, students and the agents of Ibuka on the district level are awaited.

According to Mrs. Mukantaganzwa, the gacaca courts, which the official end is scheduled in a month, could benefit from an extension which the mission would extend to trials of 1st category persons.

Out of the half a million 2nd category alleged authors of the genocide, 95% have until now been tried by the gacaca courts and 5% are either on appeal or their cases have recently been created on the basis of new information.

SRE/PB/MM
© Hirondelle News Agency