UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
After returning to Arusha from our adventures in the Serengeti I found the energy to visit the UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. In the mid-90's a horrific genocide took place in Rwanda with over a million estimated deaths, mainly ethnic Tutsi and Hutu sympathisers. The events surrounding the genocide have recently been given light through the movie Hotel Rwanda. The Tribunal was set up to apprehend and try anyone suspected of being directly involved in the genocide.
I spent a couple hours listening to the prosecutions closing arguments on the case against Tharcisse Muvunyi. He was the former Commander of Ecole Sous-Officiers (ESO) during the time of the genocide. He has been charged with giving soldiers under his command direct orders to kill orphans who were under the protection of a convent in his district. He was apprehended in London in 2000 and transfered to Arusha for the trial. Many cases have already been tried and completed including some of the main characters from the movie. However, there are still 18 people at large, mainly in exile in other African countries.
The trial is not a trial by jury, but is judged by 3 judges from the pool of judges elected by the UN to serve at the tribunal. The prosecution legal team is comprised of UN lawyers. The defense legal team is made up of criminal defense lawyers from around the world. Defense lawyers can contact the UN and volunteer their services in the case that the defendant cannot provide his own legal counsel.
I was so lucky to be able to witness a unique bit of history. The events that transpired in Rwanda were beyond comprehension and had far reaching effects across the continent. The genocide and subsequent mass refugee migration directly caused the downfall of Mobutu in Congo and caused serious instability in the surrounding countries that is still being felt today. The objective of the Tribunal is to produce some kind of closure for the Rwandan people and help them move on from this tragic part of their history.
I spent a couple hours listening to the prosecutions closing arguments on the case against Tharcisse Muvunyi. He was the former Commander of Ecole Sous-Officiers (ESO) during the time of the genocide. He has been charged with giving soldiers under his command direct orders to kill orphans who were under the protection of a convent in his district. He was apprehended in London in 2000 and transfered to Arusha for the trial. Many cases have already been tried and completed including some of the main characters from the movie. However, there are still 18 people at large, mainly in exile in other African countries.
The trial is not a trial by jury, but is judged by 3 judges from the pool of judges elected by the UN to serve at the tribunal. The prosecution legal team is comprised of UN lawyers. The defense legal team is made up of criminal defense lawyers from around the world. Defense lawyers can contact the UN and volunteer their services in the case that the defendant cannot provide his own legal counsel.
I was so lucky to be able to witness a unique bit of history. The events that transpired in Rwanda were beyond comprehension and had far reaching effects across the continent. The genocide and subsequent mass refugee migration directly caused the downfall of Mobutu in Congo and caused serious instability in the surrounding countries that is still being felt today. The objective of the Tribunal is to produce some kind of closure for the Rwandan people and help them move on from this tragic part of their history.
posted by Ben at
3:49 pm
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