Dr. BIZIMANA Jean Damascene, the Executive Secretary of National Commission for the Fight against Genocide (CNLG)

The Institute of Legal Practice and Development (ILPD) organized a Public Lecture at its Headquarters in Nyanza, Southern Province on “the role of the then ‘intellectuals’ that were working within the Justice sector and their involvement in the Genocide against the Tutsi that happened in 1994”. Dr. BIZIMANA Jean Damascene, the Executive Secretary of National Commission for the Fight against Genocide (CNLG), delivered the lecture that started from 2pm and ended at 5pm. In attendance at this event were the ILPD students and staff members as well as other invitees from the nearby Institutions like the High Court – Nyanza, The District, the Province, just to mention a few of them.

ILPD organizes special lectures such as this that are meant to equip students and staff with the ability to enhance the critical thinking and to question the status quo in a bid to foster the excellency in legal education. This lecture was prepared to help ILPD students, most of whom are foreign students, staff and distinguished invitees to know more about how the genocide against Tutsi was perpetrated and committed by the very people who ought to have been the people’s protectors, and thereby re-commit to stand for a ‘Never Again’!

In his opening remarks, the ILPD Rector - Dr. Kayihura M Didas said “such a lecture was imperative because, apart from the staff of ILPD, we also have foreign students here with us that are coming from various parts of Africa and as you know, genocide against the Tutsi is no longer just a Rwandan thing! It is an issue of an international concern and the UN itself has recognized it with an intention to fighting its ideology and trying to our human kind’s best to never have it happening again.”

ILPD Rector, Dr. Kayihura M Didas, delivering the opening remarks

The guest speaker, Dr. BIZIMANA Jean Damascene, explained in details how things started. Law was one of the factors used to dehumanize Tutsis from 1959 until 1994. Different Laws, ministerial orders and Instructions were published to deny Tutsi’s right to property, chasing them out of the country and preventing them from basic rights to education, to work, to property, etc.

The judiciary could not even admit the cases of Tutsis who claimed for their rights of to their property. Many law practitioners working at the ministry of justice, courts, and magistrates among others at the time participated actively in genocide against Tutsi. He gave a long list of those that had authority within the Justice Sector but who instead committed all sorts of atrocities to the Tutsis in and before 1994.

A group photo at the end of the Lecture