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After decades of cycling violence between Hutu and Tutsi groups in Rwanda and Burundi, violence peaked in 1994 with a genocide of Tutsis in Rwanda, during which the Hutu majority slaughtered 800,000 Tutsi and moderate Hutus, leaving the country with 120,000 accused génocidaires awaiting trial. Rwanda's gacaca courts were established as a response to the backlog of untried genocide cases. These courts disturbingly distinguish between genocide and war crimes committed during the same era, trying only those accused of genocide. This article argues that the gacaca process will contribute to the insecurity of all Rwandan citizens in the future, since it pursues inequitable justice, accentuates the ethnic divide and will be interpreted as revenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information about the gacaca courts in Rwanda, which were established to rectify genocide and assess the guilt or innocence of the people held in jails. The courts, which are held outside on the grass or gacaca under shelters, involve listing all the people present in an area before the genocide, those were killed and the accused. The gacaca courts are considered as the best option for trial for being more efficient in enlisting the support and participation of local communities. However, many people fear that the gacaca courts will only serve to open old wounds and retraumatize those who have already suffered.