Gov’t can sort out the land issue, no matter how complex it may be

Editor, Please allow me to comment on the issue of land that belonged to Genocide survivors. Given its intensity, central government should intervene directly instead of just giving directives to local authorities. • It is a complicated issue that needs technical land knowledge and financial means. The problem was caused by people acting in the name of the government and, thus, a budget by central government should be set aside to compensate all of the victims. • Almost all the leaders in local government are new in their posts, they have no knowledge of how this issue of land sharing was done – which, to some extent, was intention of the then sharing committees to redistribute lands that belonged to Genocide survivors to make sure that they are not left with a portion of land in their respective villages. We must also remember that the organic land law and ministerial decree determining modalities of land registration, including “imidugudu” as public land – then why do we think that people would pay for compensation on public land? My view would be that the government either pays for the compensation direct to the victims who lost their land or it should contact the people it allocated that land to hand it over and then the government will transfer it back to the victims. I am saying this because I know it’s almost impossible and illogical to say that there will be restitution of that land to the original owners given the developments and transactions already. Ngumbayingwe, NgomaRwanda Reaction to the story, “Report faults districts on abetting land conflicts against Genocide survivors”, (The New Times, June 4)

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Gov’t can sort out the land issue, no matter how complex it may be