Diary from Rwanda: Day Two

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”—Mahatma Ghandi

On Tuesday morning, we attend a live Gacaca court trial a half-hour drive from Kigali. Pronounced “ga-cha-cha,” this community-based court system translates loosely into English as “justice on the grass.” Before the trial, we attend a briefing session on the Gacaca system by Dennis Bikesha, the Director for Gacaca Training and Coordination in Kigali. Dennis tells us that the purpose of the Gacaca court is to try the category two and three offenses of murder, bodily injury, and property damage that occurred during the 1994 genocide. Those accused of category one crimes, which include planning and organizing the genocide and rape, or ordering rape, are tried elsewhere. 

Prior to the genocide, the Gacaca system of justice was used only for family disputes. It has been modified due to the need to bring to justice the more than 100,000 prisoners that, as of 2000, clogged the traditional courts and prisons. Our interpreter notes, “Without Gacaca courts, it would take over one hundred years to try all of our prisoners.”

To expedite justice, there are now 12,103 Gacaca courts and close to 170,000 judges, all elected by their community. For prisoners to be released or mandated to community service plus prison time, they must admit guilt, show remorse, ask for forgiveness, and demonstrate that they regret their actions. Asking for forgiveness and showing genuine remorse are the foundations of the Gacaca system.  

The trial we witness is category two. The prisoner is accused of killing at the roadblocks and ordering the removal of dead bodies during the genocide. The trial begins with a moment of silence. We are outdoors observing grass roots justice that is literally on the grass. Our courthouse has no walls, just low wooden benches for witnesses from the community, a table in the front where the judges sit, and plastic chairs lined up in a row and off to the side that afford our group a bird’s eye view of the proceedings. We are less than fifteen feet away from the accused. Presiding over the court, as judges, are four women. Each wears a blue, yellow, and green sash on which is written the word “Inyangamugayo,” which means “those who hate evil.”