The Rwandan minister for justice, Jean de Dieu Mucyo, recognises that some elements of the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA) were guilty of crimes against Hutus during the civil war and after the genocide. However, he refuses all comparison between « these isolated acts and a long-planned genocide » On 27 September, during a speech before hundreds of prisoners gathered in the administrative centre of the Ntongwe district in Gitarama province, in the centre of Rwanda, the justice minister, Jean de Dieu Mucyo, acknowledged that some elements of the RPA had deaths on their conscience. « Yes, there were acts of revenge », admitted the minister, adding that those responsible should be identified and brought to justice. Jean de Dieu Mucyo underlined, nevertheless, that these « isolated murders resulting from anger and resentment » cannot be compared with « a genocide planned over a long period of time and executed with the greatest savagery ». If the genocide had not taken place, there would have been no revenge, explained the minister to the prisoners sitting in packed rows on the lawn. The young minister reminded them that during the war, from October 1990 to July 1994, a lot of civilians had behaved as front line soldiers. « They were armed with bows and arrows », continued the minister, « and did not hesitate to fire at the RPA soldiers », then at war against the regime of President Juvénal Habyarimana. The minister concluded that the RPA rebels could not stand by with their arms crossed and let themselves be riddled with arrows. « They opened fire in self defence and sometimes heads would roll », deplored Mr. Mucyo.

« Justice to rebuild the social fabric »
This speech was made less than a week before the election of the « gacaca » judges called on to try more than 100,000 persons accused of participation in the 1994 genocide. The government awareness campaign concerning this election has aroused passionate debate in some areas. Some Tutsis, victims of the genocide, reproach the government for having « invented a trick to give amnesty to those responsible for the genocide in order to gain the sympathy of the Hutu majority. » After all, the next elections are less than two years away, they note. To reassure them, the government repeats « that this is not punishment for punishments sake but justice to rebuild the Rwandan social fabric. » It is now being referred to as « participatory, reconciliatory justice ».

Ordinary or War Crimes?
Some Hutus are also unhappy. A small number of them spoke out in favour of a « gacaca » system capable of elucidating the disappearance or death of members of their own ethnic group, victims of RPA atrocities.
For the last two weeks, government members, provincial prefects and members of the commission set up to supervise the election have been criss-crossing the country repeating the
same slogan. « There is a world of difference between the crimes committed by some elements of the RPA and the genocide which cost the lives of more than a million people. That is why these isolated murders cannot be brought up during proceedings before the gacaca courts. These crimes will continue to be tried by the ordinary courts ».