[allAfrica.com]











Over 8,000 Genocide Courts to Begin Work on Jan. 15th, Says Official

Hirondelle News Agency (Lausanne)
NEWS
December 20, 2004
Posted to the web December 20, 2004
Kigali
Over 8,000 Gacaca courts will start work on January 15th next year, a senior
Rwandan official told Hirondelle News Agency on Monday.
"We have set January 15th as the date for commencing work", Augustin Nkusi,
director of judicial services in the national Gacaca department said.
Gacacas are semi-traditional community-based courts set up over two years ago
to speed up genocide trials and bring about reconciliation.
Many previous dates set for the beginning of different Gacaca activities were
postponed several times.
Some observers in Kigali say it may take over six months before the first
Gacaca trials take place.
While acknowledging that "unexpected circumstances" may lead to a postponement
of the January 15th start, Nkusi of the Gacaca Department said that "up to now
there is no reason to change this date".
"The training of the Judges has been completed in most places. Others will
complete before the end of the year or the first week of January at the
latest", he said.

   

  ===============================================================================
  Copyright © 2004 Hirondelle News Agency. All rights reserved. Distributed by
                     AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com).
  ===============================================================================