Extending Coverage of Justice After Genocide in Rwanda
The violent genocide which erupted in Rwanda in April 1994 effectively destroyed normal societal institutions and the justice system. In the aftermath of the violence, community structures and the trust between neighbours were profoundly disrupted, and the Rwandan government was left to prosecute the trials of more than 115,000 citizens while rebuilding their country.
At the inception of Internews’ project in 1998, the almost complete lack of information provided to Rwandan citizens on the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda or the efforts of their government to prosecute the genocide spurred the creation of the 'Arusha Tapes' and subsequent newsreels on the ICTR. Due in part to the work of Internews’ staff in Kigali, Rwandans are now better informed on the activities of the Tribunal. However, the complexities of the Gacaca process, the merging of the needs of a truth and reconciliation process, and the weight of assigning accountability are looming issues of confusion and concern.
Internews believes that free media is a key step in improving citizen participation and creating a strengthened civil society. The exchange of information between the Ministry of Justice, the institutions involved in the reconstruction of this sector, and the international community is crucial to reestablishing peace in Rwanda after the genocide that devastated the African nation in 1994.
Internews produced newsreels with up-to-date information about the prosecution of genocide suspects for consumption by low-income rural audiences. The main participants in this prosecution process are the Gacaca juries (inyangamugayo), the accused, the victims of genocide, and the witnesses, as well as representatives of Rwandan society (community members, local and national government employees, students, prisoners, ex-combatants, refugees, etc).
These videos reported on the prosecution of key Rwandan genocide suspects at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), as well as the justice proceedings at the Rwandan National Courts and the Gacaca (village courts).
Projections were followed by informal discussion about the film. These sessions provided a unique opportunity for rural audiences to pose questions directly to the various experts who attend as part of the Internews team. The relevant and newsworthy parts of the discussions are included in future videos. nternews also organises screenings for VIPs and other personnel working at the ICTR, the Rwandan National Court and the Gacaca. This provides a rare opportunity for state officials to absorb the opinions and concerns of ordinary Rwandans on and about the post-genocide judicial process. The videos are also shown to genocide suspects awaiting trial in prison. This is their only exposure to news on the justice proceedings.
The project had the support of and the authorization from the Rwandan Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Ministry of Local Government, as well as ICTR officials.
The Internews team selected screening locations based on a number of factors, and gave priority to those towns where the gacaca process is underway. We covered the beginnings of the gacaca process, and staff anticipated that post-screening discussions of newsreels featuring developments in the gacaca courts would provide a forum for communities to consider the problems and advantages of the new system, while providing information on the best practices of gacaca courts around the country.
Since 1999, Internews has provided the international community with over 1,200 stories about the ICTR, National Courts, and Gacaca proceedings, as well as the Burundi peace process. More than 200,000 Rwandan citizens from all twelve provinces have seen Internews’ videoreels.






