What are some issues with the gacaca courts?
“One of the serious shortcomings of gacaca has been its failure to provide justice to all victims of serious crimes committed in 1994”, Bekele said. “By removing RPF crimes from their jurisdiction, the government limited the potential of the gacaca courts to foster long-term reconciliation in Rwanda.”
What did the gacaca courts do?
The solution was gacaca: a system of 12,000 community-based courts that sought to try genocide criminals while promoting forgiveness by victims, ownership of guilt by criminals, and reconciliation in communities as a way to move forward.
Who were the Interahamwe What was their role in the genocide?
The Interahamwe, led by Robert Kajuga, were the main perpetrators of the Rwandan genocide, during which an estimated 500,000 to 1,000,000 Tutsi, Twa, and moderate Hutus were killed from April to July 1994, and the term “Interahamwe” was widened to mean any civilian bands killing Tutsi.
What is the meaning of gacaca?
gə-chächə A traditional Rwandan system of justice in which local community members are allowed to testify freely, without the participation of lawyers, and cases are decided by a panel of judges chosen from the community. noun.
What is Mato Oput?
Mato oput is both a process and ritual ceremony to restore relationships between clans in the case of intentional or accidental killing. While the process is similar across the different clans in Acholi, the ceremony itself varies from clan to clan.
What are the Tutsi and Hutu?
Generally speaking, Hutus were an agricultural people who lived in large family groups. The Tutsis, also known as Watutsis, were a nomadic people who began arriving in the Great Lakes region from Ethiopia some four hundred years ago. “In Rwanda, the Tutsi and the Hutu are the same people.
Why were Tutsis referred to as cockroaches?
Mukasonga referred to it as a “paper grave” to reflect how she escaped the situation and in memorial for her deceased relatives. The title “Cockroaches” was an insult against Tutsis uttered during the conflict.
What causes the resentment between the Hutu and Tutsi?
Class Warfare. Generally, the Hutu-Tutsi strife stems from class warfare, with the Tutsis perceived to have greater wealth and social status (as well as favoring cattle ranching over what is seen as the lower-class farming of the Hutus).