WESTERN PROVINCE RUBAVU — Local mediators locally known as Abunzi have been advised to uphold work ethics. Martin Habimana, the Rubavu district officer in charge of good governance, made the call recently, while addressing district mediator committees attending a three-day training on laws and the role of mediators in providing justice. The training organised by the district authority took place at the Gisenyi cultural centre. He observed that fair justice fosters unity and reconciliation in society. “You all know that Abunzi committees handle 70% of all civil cases. As people who handle majority of the cases in society; you need to uphold work ethics and desist from corruption and any other kind of inequities,” said Habimana. Calling on them to share information with other local leaders and the central government, Habimana reminded the mediators to be transparent, and ensure accountability in their work. “For our country to achieve its larger development goals, it needs to have a sound institutional environment that ensures universal access to quality justice, eradicating genocide ideology and deepening the culture of rule of law within Rwandans,” he said. He promised that the district will help area mediation committees visit other committees in the neighbouring districts to discuss the challenges of their work and types of cases they handle. This would assist the mediators to do a better job more quickly and efficiently, he noted. Jean Damascene Byukusenge, one of the participants thanked the district for organising the training which he said provided them an opportunity to meet and share experiences. Ends
