The Role Of Truth, Justice And Reconciliation In Acideving Transitional Justice: A Case Study Of The Gacaca Courts In Rwanda After The 1994 Genocide.

ABSTRACT

Emerging out of the same dynamics of war and violence that led to the recognition of international human rights, post -conflict or transitional justice is one of the most important developments in the efforts to advance peace as well realize human rights and dignity in the twentieth century. As more and more countries undergo the trauma of civil war or revolutions against repressive regimes, together with the international community they must confront the problems of transforming these situations of violent conflict into healthy, functional democratic states. The guiding principle behind post-conflict or transitional justice is that complying with the demands of justice is a necessary prerequisite to peace and stability. Often, there is a question on the way forward in a community that has been a victim of an armed conflict crisis. This therefore calls for appropriate approaches to be used in bringing the situation to almost the way it was before the armed conflict arose. Of the many approaches available to a society that has been affected by an armed conflict, this research puts truth, justice and reconciliation on the spotlight and more specifically on the role it plays in ensuring achievement of transitional justice leading to normalcy in the society.

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

DECLARATION ••....•......•••.•••••.•.••.....•••..•..•............•........................••....•.•..••••.....•.•.•.•......••..••..•.••• I 

APPROVAL ........................................................................................... ; .................................... 11 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................... ; ....................... Ill 

DEDICATION ............................................................................................................................ IV 

TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................ V 

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ......................................................................................................... VII 

ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................. 1 

1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 2 

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY .............................. _ ................................................... 5 

1.2 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY ........................................................................................ .6 

1.3 STATEMENT OF PURPOSE ............................... - ............................. - ........................... ] 

1.4 JUSTIFICATION OF THE STUDY ·······························-····························-···················.8 

1.5 HYPOTHESIS ·····························································-······································ ............ 9 

1.6 LITERATURE REVIEW .............................. - .............................. _ ............................. _ ••. 1 0 

1.7 RESEARCH QUESTIONS ............................................................................................ .11 

1.8 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY .............................. - ............................. - .................... 12 

1.9 CHAPTER BREAKDOWN .............................. - ..•.........•.••..•.•.•.......•...•..•..........•.•.•..•••• .12 

1.9.1 CHAPTER ONE ................................................................................................ 12 

1. 9.2 CHAPTER TWO ................................................................................................ 13 

1. 9.3 CHAPTER THREE .............................................................................................. 13 

1. 9.4 CHAPTER FOUR ............................................................................................... 13 

1. 9.5 CHAPTER FIVE ................................................................................................. 14 

CHAPTER TWO: THE CONCEPT OF TRUTH, JUSTICE AND RECONCILIATION ....................... 15 

2.0 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 15 

2.1 DEFINING KEY TERMS: JUSTICE AND RECONCILIATION ....................................................... .15 

2. 1.1 JUSTICE ............................... - ............................. - ............................. - ...................... 15 

2.1.2 RECONCILIATION .............................. - ............................................................. - ....... 19 

2.2 RESTORATIVE JUSTICE CONCEPT ............................................................. - ...•.........•.•••..• 21 

2.3 FOUNDATIONAL CONCEPTS OF RESTORATIVE JUSTICE ....................................................... 26 

2.4 FORMS AND MODELS OF RESTORATIVE JUSTICE ............................................................. - ... 28 

2.5 OBJECTIVES OF TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE .............................................................. - .....•••.•.•• 30 

2.6 JUDICIAL MECHANISMS AND RETRIBUTIVE JUSTICE ............................................................ 31 

2.7 JUSTIFICATION OF RETRIBUTIVE JUSTICE .............................................................................. 32 

2.8 TRUTH COMMISSIONS ............................... - ............................ _ ..................................... 33 

2.9 CONTEXTUALIZATION OF TRUTH .............................. - .............................. - ....................... 35 

2.1 0 ESTABLISHING NORMATIVE VALUES ............................... _ ................................................ .35 

CHAPTER THREE: TRUTH, JUSTICE AND RECONCILIATION: GACACA COURTS .................. 37 

3.0 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 37 

3.1 GACACA: GENERAL ............................................................................................. - •••.•. 37 

3.2 HISTORY OF GACACA ................................................................................................... 38 

3.3 HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF GACACA ............................... - ........................................ .42 

3.4 MECHANICS OF GACACA ............................................................................................. 51 

3.4.1 TABLE 1: GACACA SENTENCING SCHEME- JUNE 2004- MARCH 2007 ........................ 56 

3.4.2 TABLE 2: GACACA SENTENCING SCHEME- MARCH 2007 ONWARDS ........................... 57 

CHAPTER FOUR: ANALYSIS OF TRUTH, JUSTICE AND RECONCILIATION ............................. 58 

4.0 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 58 

4.1 INTERPRETING GACACA ............................................................. - ............................ - .. 58 

4.2 CONTROVERSY AND CONFUSION OVER GACACA .............................. - .......................... 59 

4.3 POPULAR ETHOS OF GACACA .............................. - ............................ - ........................ .62 

4.4 DOMINANT DISCOURSE ON GACACA .............................. - ............................. - .............. 65 

4.5 GACACA'S MODUS OPERANDI: ENGAGEMENTTHROUGH POPULAR PARTICIPATION ........... .71 

4.6 MODUS OPERANDI OF GACACA: POPULAR PARTICIPATION ............................................. .71 

4.7 IMPORTANCE OF POPULAR OWNERSHIP OVER GACACA .............................. - ................. .72 

4.8 LINKING POPULAR PARTICIPATION IN GACACA, "NATIONAL UNITY" AND "DUTY" ............... 79 

4.9 DOMINANT DISCOURSE ON POPULAR PARTICIPATION: GACACA AS MOB JUSTICE .............. 83 

4.1 0 ENGAGEMENT THROUGH GACACA- THE BRIDGE TO RECONCILIATION .............................. 88 

4.11 EVALUATION: GACACA'S STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES ............................... - .................. 89 

4.11.1 ORDINARY RWANDANS PREFER THE GACACA COURTS OVER THE NATIONAL COURTS AND 

THE ICTR FOR DEALING WITH THE GENOCIDE CRIMES ..................................................................... 90 

4.11.2 WOMEN HAVE TAKEN UP AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE GACACA PROCEEDINGS ................ 90 

4.11.7 THE GACACA PROCEEDINGS ARE SPEEDING UP THE BACKLOG OF GENOCIDE-RELATED ....90 

THE GACACA COURT SYSTEM IS CONTRADICTORY ........................................................ 91 

FINE-TUNING OR DISASTER MANAGEMENT? .............................. - ............................. 91 

THE COURT SYSTEM IS AT ONCE EVERYTHING AND NOTHING ................................ _,.,. •• 91 

PEASANTS OR JUDICIAL TECHNICIANS: CAN THE SUBALTERN SPEAK? ............................ 92 

IT IS BOTH TOO DECENTRALIZED AND NOT DECENTRALIZED ENOUGH ............................ 94 

REVENGE, RETRIBUTION OR RECONCILIATION? ............................... - ........................ 95 

CONTEXTUAL FACTORS HINDER AND FACILITATE THE GACACA PROCEEDINGS .............. 95 

UNPOPULAR PARTICIPATORY JUSTICE ............................... - ......................................... 97 

NO TRUTH IN THE GACACA PROCESS ................................ - ......................................... 97 

RECONCILIATION IN JEOPARDY AND A HUTU SUBCULTURE IN THE MAKING? ...................... 98 

CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION ............................................................................................. 100 

5.0 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 100 

5.1 CONCLUSION ............................... _ ............................. - ............................ - ............... 1 00 

BIBLIOGRAPHY ...................................................................................................................... 112