Gacaca success a vindication of home grown solutions

The National Service of Gacaca Jurisdictions has announced that the traditional courts have only 97 pending cases. The semi-traditional court system was introduced to deal with over a million cases of individuals suspected of taking part in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The current Gacaca system has its origins in Rwandan traditional system of restorative justice. It was introduced out of necessity and the need to restore the country’s social fabric after the Genocide and foster unity and reconciliation, while at the same time delivering justice and ensuring accountability for the many cases that would have overwhelmed the conventional court system. The National Service of Gacaca Jurisdictions is now set to embark on the pending cases and thereafter, it will be phased out. It has tried over 1.5 million cases since its inception. Therefore, it has played the foremost role in bringing to justice those who participated in the Genocide. Also, it has helped people live in harmony and find closure for the survivors. The Gacaca success story is a matter of public record, both Rwandan and beyond. Certainly, it has had its detractors, mainly the forces that, for ideological reasons, were opposed to accountability and justice. But that did not deter the country from pursuing this pragmatic approach to finding justice. Its successful conclusion which is now in sight, speaks volumes about the correct line in adopting unique home grown solutions for the country’s problems and challenges. Ends