SOUTHERN PROVINCE

HUYE — The governor of the Southern Province has announced that the province would have completed all Gacaca cases by March 2009.

Gacaca are local traditional courts, that handle post genocide trials.

At an assessment meeting on Tuesday, Fidele Ndayisaba called upon concerned authorities to devise strategies that will lead to a smooth completion of cases in all categories.

Trials of First Category cases have started in different Gacaca courts in the district while almost all cases in the Second Category have been disposed of.

However, there have been reports of delays in the completion of Third Category cases where parties involved have failed to reach a negotiated settlement.

Cases in this category mainly involve destroyed or stolen properties whose owners have to be compensated. In Simbi and Rusatira Sectors, no single case has been settled out of over 10,000 cases on a waiting list.

According to Governor Ndayisaba, trials can be made more efficient if proper communication channels are established.

"Many trials are adjourned because either witnesses have come late or the accused have not been brought from the different prisons on time. There is need to streamline such procedures if we are to complete these trials early,” he said. 

Many cases in the first category are being tried in camera because of their nature (involving rape), while many others are being tried in absentia.

Ndayisaba advised local leaders to cooperate with other local authorities like the Police to mobilise their communities to participate in the Gacaca courts.

He reminded Sector leaders that work has to continue uninterrupted in areas where Gacaca courts are not sitting.

"Gacaca trials should not mean closure of businesses even in areas where there are no proceedings going on. People should be allowed to attend to their businesses, and till their gardens. They should only be required to attend such sessions when deemed necessary by the local authorities,” said Ndayisaba.

The Province has the highest number of Gacaca related cases in the country and has suffered serious setbacks in the past due to continued assaults on Genocide survivors and witnesses.

Recent statistics show that 153 Genocide survivors were killed in the period 1995-2007-the highest figure reported in the country.

Police and army authorities, Sector Executive Secretaries, representatives of Genocide survivors and Gacaca Coordinators attended the meeting.

Ends