Hirondelle News Agency (Lausanne)
6 May 2003
Bicumbi — Thousands of genocide suspects on Monday walked to their homes from camps across Rwanda where they have been undergoing "re-education".
Over 22,000 men and women, mainly composed of genocide suspects, had been in 18 "solidarity camps" since their release from prison in February. The others released comprised of genocide convicts, suspects of infiltration, theft and other crimes.
They were released in February following a presidential decree to send home suspects and convicts who risked spending longer in detention than the sentences provided for by a new semi-traditional justice system. The released suspects will still face trial under the new Gacaca courts.
Elderly detainees, the terminally sick and minors were also released at that time. Elders and the sick were exempted from the camps.
Rwandan prisons are still crowded by some 80,000 genocide suspects. Some have been in detention without trial for over eight years. Gacaca courts are expected to clear the backlog.
"I'm very happy to be back to normal life", Evariste Mugabo, 38, a Hutu, told Hirondelle from a bar close to his house where he had been celebrating with friends. "I hope that my neighbours can accept me back", he added. He said that he had confessed to killing a man known as Ngarambe during the 1994 genocide. He said that he had been in detention for over eight years.
Reacting to the release, Patricia Nyirasafari, 27, a Tutsi genocide survivor neighbour of Mugabo's said she had no alternative but to accept him back. "You have chosen to release them. What can we do ?", she retorted.
The government has promised to protect both the released and survivors against possible reprisal attacks.
People in areas close to the camps lined along roads leading from the camps to take a glimpse of the released men and women. A substantial part of those released travelled home on foot. Some were not expected to reach home before at least 24 hours.
"They have mainly been taught how to be good citizens and how to re-establish themselves in society", said Hannington Tayebwa, a public relations officer in the ministry of justice.
Under Rwanda's new semi-traditional court system known as Gacaca, convicts of crimes related to the 1994 genocide will spend half of their sentences in their communities doing community work.
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