Local mediators are more empowered – Karugarama

The Government has boosted the capacity of community mediators (Abunzi) to solve socio-economic disputes in local communities and reduce court backlogs, the Minister for Justice, Tharcisse Karugarama, has said. Abunzi are home-grown dispute arbitrators. They handle disputes arising in communities and refer more serious cases to legal jurisprudence. Karugarama, who was addressing the Abunzi in Burera District on Wednesday, said since the mediator committees were launched, they have periodically been strengthened and they are now capable of adjudicating problems that used to be solved in courts.“We introduced mediator committees and stressed their role in the Constitution to enable them to work well. Simple social problems are now solved at community level,” he said . The minister said the tenure for mediators has been increased from two to five years so that they can gain experience while on the job. “Cases used to be in court for years and consumed more money which would have been used in other business,” Karugarama said.The government has also introduced access to justice bureaus (MAJ) to help mediators get basic skills on laws, such as land-related laws and those on marriage, according to the minister. “We need good and honest mediators so that more cases are solved at local levels. You will give your country dignity if you arbitrate cases impartially and this will lead to development,” he said. Burera District has 1,030 mediators of the 30,768 mediators countrywide.Anastase Balinda, the national coordinator of Mediators’ Secretariat, said mediators who train and have access to justice bureaus have been more helpful than those that do not. Balinda said more training will be provided to equip mediators with ethics and techniques to mediate better.

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Local mediators are more empowered – Karugarama