WESTERN PROVINCE

RUSIZI — Genocide suspects under the first category at Cyangugu Central prison have been urged to tell the truth of what happened during the 1994 Rwandan genocide in order to facilitate speedy trial of their cases.

The appeal was made by the Executive Secretary of the National Gacaca Jurisdictions, Domithila Mukantaganzwa, during her visit to the prison on Wednesday.

"In order to expedite your trials, I urge you to speak the truth of all what happened during the genocide. This is when true justice will prevail because it is the core of our justice system,” she said.

She also cautioned them against confronting  gacaca judges during their trials but to respond to the questions that they would be asked.

Mukantaganzwa further urged them to promote peace, unity and reconciliation among each other in cells and desist from genocide ideology and other ethnic divisionism.

During trials, she said, suspects should avoid harassing, intimidating and torturing genocide survivors and witnesses.

At the meeting, an inmate who spoke on behalf of the rest appealed for the retrial of their cases, saying some genocide suspects were jailed on unclear grounds while others were given harsh sentences.

There are 120 Genocide suspects in the first category that will be facing gacaca trials in Rusizi and Nyamasheke districts, according to statistics at Cyangugu prison.

Currently, Cyangugu central prison has 3386 inmates of which 1894 are genocide suspects. There are 1700 men and 194 women.

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