{{Rwanda’s Justice Minister Tharcisse Karugarama has told the United Nations that international tribunals have not produced any meaningful results over the past 20 years.}}
In a discussion boycotted by US and attended by 47 countries, Karugarama noted that Rwanda felt betrayed by how the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) has conducted its business.
He told the meeting chaired by the UN secretary General Ban Ki-Moon that the ICTR has not delivered justice for survivors of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
Karugarama said the tribunals especially the International Criminal Court seem to have strayed from their original objective and have failed to remain independent.
He warned that should this continue, the international justice system may totally lose its credibility.
Contrasting Gacaca traditional courts against ICTR in Arusha, Karugarama revealed that Gacaca courts managed to handle 2 million genocide cases within 2 years using U$52 million yet ICTR has only tried 75 cases in 17 years at a budget of U$1.5 billion USD.
However, the minister noted that Rwanda supports international justice that is based on an independent mechanism that is transparent and sticks to its true values.
The UN meeting was convened to deliberate the work of international tribunals and international justice mechanisms in bringing about reconciliation.
Leave a Reply