The U.N. Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda Concludes its First Case: A Monumental Step Towards Truth

Abstract

Over the past year, the UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) has made significant progress in apprehending and prosecuting high ranking persons responsible for the 1994 genocide of Tutsi and moderate Hutu in Rwanda1. The first case to be concluded at the ICTR, the case against Rwandan ex-premier Jean Kambanda, is extremely important for learning the truth about what happened in Rwanda during those fateful 100 days in 1994. Kambanda's extensive admissions of guilt should dispel forever any doubts about the occurrence of an intentionally orchestrated genocide in Rwanda. Kambanda's confession, and his willingness to offer testimony in other cases, is significant because it will probably influence the pleas of the other thirty Rwandan defendants in ICTR custody.