Truth or Reconciliation Mechanism: Arusha Accord – 4 August 1993
Implementations
Truth or Reconciliation Mechanism – 1993
No developments observed this year.
Truth or Reconciliation Mechanism – 1994
No developments observed this year.
Truth or Reconciliation Mechanism – 1995
No developments observed this year.
Truth or Reconciliation Mechanism – 1996
No developments observed this year.
Truth or Reconciliation Mechanism – 1997
On 28 January 1997, a Presidential Decree (Number 25/01) was given to establish the National Commission For Unity And Reconciliation.
Truth or Reconciliation Mechanism – 1998
Presidential Decree 25/01 was altered on 21 November 1998 in the cabinet meeting that adopted a legislation setting up a national commission for unity and reconciliation.1
- “Rwanda: Cabinet Approves Establishment of Commissions on Rights, Reconciliation,” BBC Monitoring Africa, November 21, 1998.
Truth or Reconciliation Mechanism – 1999
Two years after the presidential decree, the NURC became operational in March 1999, by the law No. 03/99 of 12/03/99.1 The objective of the establishment of the commission was to both foster unity and reconciliation among the people of Rwanda and to promote ethnic reconciliations and human rights.
- “NURC- Background,” accessed September 15, 2011, http://www.nurc.gov.rw/.
Truth or Reconciliation Mechanism – 2000
Once operational, the NURC was very active and its activities were followed and supported by the European Union.1 The commission actively engaged in organizing conferences throughout the country so that people would exchange ideas and together find solutions to a number of problems facing the country and also took charge of organizing ingando re-education camps for re-integrated soldiers, released prisoners, university students, government officials, and others.2
- “EU Provides 7.2m Euro To Support Justice System, Civil Society,” BBC Worldwide Monitoring, December 14, 2000
- “Rwanda Holds National Conference on Unity and Reconciliation,” Xinhua General News Service, October 18, 2000.
Truth or Reconciliation Mechanism – 2001
The NURC reportedly continued to make progress in its efforts to restore normalcy to the country following the 1994 genocide.1
Truth or Reconciliation Mechanism – 2002
No further developments observed this year.
Postscript: As of 2003, the commission was active. While critics claim that the NURC had been used to try to promote unity around the RPF and its agenda not to truly promote reconciliations, the use of Gaçaca as a form of transitional justice and reconciliation can be seen as significant effort aimed towards reconciliations. Elections for Gaçaca judges were held in 2001 and the first sessions began in 2002 and fully completed in 2005.