Restoring Human Dignity and Reconciling the People of Rwanda

Abstract

Rwanda has over the years experienced bad governance based on discrimination and vision of its people. As a result, a prolonged period of corrupt and repressive regime saw the entrenchment of “divide and rule” as principle of governing. Inevitably this repressive culture led to massive human rights violations which culminated in the 1994 genocide that saw up to over one million Rwandans perish. The Government of National Unity considers unity and reconciliation of Rwandan people as the basis for defeating social, economic and political underdevelopment. Hence the setting up of the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission (NURC) by Parliamentary Law No 03/99 of 12 March 1999. The establishment of National Unity and Reconciliation Commission, therefore, marked a major milestone in changing fundamentally effects of bad governance based on discrimination and sectarianism.