Goodbye Tanzania, Hello Rwanda!

Yesterday was yet another interesting and inspiring day spent at the ITCR in Arusha. We were absolutely privileged to watch the trial of Edouard Karemera, the former Minister of the Interior in the interim Rwandan government. Karemera, along with other extremisit elements in the military and “Hutu Power” parties, is accused of seizing control of the Rwandan government in the wake of President Habyarimana’s assassination and using this power to implement a policy of genocide. While this specific case has been in trial for over eight years, we were lucky enough to hear Karemera himself on the witness stand yesterday. Throughout his testimony, Karemera attempted to portray himself as a nominal government official who did what he had to do in the midst of a civil war and spent the better part of the day describing the events of April 6th and 7th. Looking at the aging and placid Karemera, it was so hard to imagine that someone who seemed so normal, professional, and composed was responsible for such horrific crimes.

After the trial concluded for the morning, we again headed up to a conference room where we meet with a senior legal advisor and two representatives from the Office of Witness and Victims services. Both meetings were so interesting and provided further insight into the complex and rapidly developing legal world in which the ITCR operates. Specifically, I found the discussion regarding the court’s level of judicial independence and impartiality to be the most interesting and, to be honest, a little unsettling. While the court most certainly enjoys a certain degree of autonomy, it appears as if it is still heavily influenced by the political will of the United Nations, the international community, and the Rwandan government. I really worry that true justice cannot possibly be delivered when a court is so heavily influenced and bound by such political will. That being said, I know that the ICTR does what it can to ensure that each defendant is given a fair and impartial trial. After another long day at the ICTR we went back to Via Via…the same little ex-pat bar in Arusha for dinner, a little free internet (and massive amounts of facebooking), and a final toast to Tanzania.

This morning, we woke up early, got a little breakfast, said goodbye to the amazingly hospitable staff of the Arusha Naaz and headed to the airport to grab a flight to Kigali. The flight, in a twenty-seater prop plane built well before I was born, was interesting to say the least…I should have known something was up when the flight attendant told those in the exit rows to open the emergency doors in case the pilot were to scream “evacuate, evacuate, evacuate”. But again, despite all the odds, we somehow made it alive to Kigali. The flight itself, despite the occasional bump and the Rwanda Air tuna sandwiches, was actually pretty enjoyable and provided stunning views of Mount Kilimanjaro, Lake Victoria and, two hours later, Kigali!

Kigali is a remarkably beautiful city that sprawls across several of Rwanda’s verdant rolling hills. Like in Tanzania, the air is so fresh and the sky so blue. While we did not get to explore much of the city today, a couple of us took a taxi to the Hotel Mille Collines, the hotel featured in the film Hotel Rwanda, to grab some drinks and dinner. I naturally couldn’t help but think of the hundreds of Tutsis that had hid in the very same hotel during 1994. While the whole experience was somewhat ominous, I couldn’t help but to feel a little hopeful. It was at this same hotel that a group of committed Hutus put their own lives on the line to save Tutsis from the Interhamwe death squads. And, there was also something so uplifting about the fact that this hotel was once again open and, besides its storied history, rather unremarkable…buildings get repaired, life goes on, and people eventually heal. That being said, walking along the streets of Kigali is a strange and unique experience. I can’t help but think of the 1994 genocide and the million that perished on these very streets. I can’t help but look at individuals and wonder what role they played in the massacres. I can’t help but stare at the machete scars that mark the faces of the lucky few that survived....

Well, that’s about it for tonight. I’m sitting out on our little balcony that overlooks Kigali. The lights that dot the numerous hills are absolutely beautiful and the night sky is riddled with millions of bright stars. Its good to be in Rwanda!

Night,
Luke