Rwanda
Genocide Tribunal intensifies its work in Rwanda

afrol.com, 26 September - Umusanzu mu Bwiyunge, the Information and Documentation Centre of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) was opened yesterday in Kigali, Rwanda, by the UN Assistant Secretary-General and Registrar of the ICTR, Mr. Agwu U. Okali. Meanwhile, twenty Rwandan judges returned to Rwanda after a visit to the headquarters of ICTR in Arusha. 

In his address, Mr. Okali told the guests that the principal work of the Tribunal is to try genocide suspects but also, and most importantly, that those trials must make justice a reality to the Rwandan people and thus contribute to the process of national reconciliation within Rwanda itself. Umusanzu mu Bwiyunge in Kinyarwanda means a "Contribution to Reconciliation".

The Umusanzu centre is a home for three facilities which have been provided by the ICTR to the people of Rwanda and will be the backbone of the Tribunal's information programme in Rwanda.

The first is a public information area that features materials on the work of the ICTR, such as the Tribunal's judgments and decisions in Kinyarwanda, as well as numerous other resources, such as videos of court proceedings and computers with internet access.

Secondly, the centre houses a library with several hundred volumes on international law, the Rwandan genocide and related issues. The library also has Internet terminals for research on the work of the Tribunal and issues of international justice.

The third component of the centre is the Victims Assistance Programme, which provides counseling for victims who are witnesses or potential witnesses before the Tribunal. This programme will be officially launched in Taba, Gitarama Prefecture, tomorrow, 26 September 2000.

The ICTR Registrar, Mr. Okali, thanked the Rwandan Government for having made available the building in which the Umusanzu centre is housed.

"The launching of this centre is an important new dimension in the relationship between the International Tribunal and the people of Rwanda", he concluded.

In his response, the Prime Minister of Rwanda, Mr. Bernard Makuza, on behalf of the President and the Government of Rwanda, thanked the Registrar, Mr. Okali, and said that the bond of partnership between the ICTR and the people of Rwanda had just been reinforced by the establishment of Umusanzu centre.

Rwandan judges visit Arusha
Twenty Rwandan Judges returned to Rwanda on Sunday after a visit to the headquarters of the ICTR in Arusha. The visit was aimed at familiarising the Judges with ICTR operations and strengthening ties between ICTR and the Rwandan judiciary. 

The Rwandan judges expressed satisfaction about the good working relationship they enjoy with ICTR. They also thanked ICTR for the decision to establish an information centre in Kigali where news about the progress of trials and written and audio-visual records will be kept. The information centre will be officially opened on Monday. 

The Rwandan Judges also expressed their support by the decision by ICTR to hold hearings for some cases in Rwanda soon. Concern was, however, expressed about the slow pace of ICTR trials. In a period of four years, ICTR has delivered 8 judgments compared to nearly 3000 in Rwanda. 

Source: ICTR and Press Office of the President of Rwanda 

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