NGOMA – Murama sector of Ngoma district has officially concluded its Gacaca trials.

John Rubangura an official from the national secretariat of Gacaca courts said he was happy with the conclusion of the proceedings during a ceremony to award medals and certificates to judges who conducted the trials.

"These medals are symbolically important and I would like to call upon the judges, to keep them safely and always wear them whenever we are remembering heroes,” he said.

Vénuste Bisangabagabo the Executive Secretary of Murama sector said that Gacaca court officials did a commendable job not only to try the suspects, but also to build peace and unity in the communities.

"They have managed to bring back unity in communities that had been shattered by the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.”

Juvénal Ntijyinama the area representative of Ibuka, an umbrella organization for the Genocide survivors in Rwanda said that the government’s decision to establish Gacaca system was "wise.”

He thanked the survivors for having been courageous enough to talk about the ugly past, and some of the accused for showing remorse over the crimes they committed during the genocide.

"If it was not for Gacaca courts the trials would last for more than 100 years,” he said. "Survivors and suspects could never get justice, and those in prison would probably stay in prisons for ages.”

Officials said that the trials concluded over 170 cases in category 2 as well as 2,315 cases in category 3 while 4,555 property related cases were concluded.

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