PRI has been working in the Great Lakes region since 1998 and currently manages programmes in Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Our regional office is in Kigali, Rwanda.

Socio-political context

Political instability, violence and humanitarian crises have beleaguered the Great Lakes region in recent years. However, processes of peace and democratisation are slowly coming to fruition.

In the twelve years following the genocide in Rwanda, efforts to rebuild the economy and the state’s infrastructure are beginning to yield results. In 2003, the adoption of a new Constitution, followed by presidential elections, has marked the beginning of a number of legislative reforms. However, considerable challenges remain, notably bringing justice to those involved in the genocide and forging national unity in the face of long-standing ethnic divisions. It is estimated that two thirds of the population live below the poverty line.

After more than thirteen years of conflict, in which more than 300,000 people have died, Burundi is slowly moving towards peace and political stability. Although the peace process stalled following the signing of the first Arusha agreement in 2000, a new agreement was reached in September 2006. The first parliamentary elections since the start of the civil war took place in June 2005.

The conflict in the DRC formally ended in 2003, with the signing of the peace agreement and formation of a transitional government. However, sporadic violence persists throughout the country. The legacy of war has been a humanitarian crisis which is currently estimated to claim the lives of as many as 1,000 Congolese each day. In spite of this, the first democratic elections in over thirty years were held in July 2006.

Criminal justice in Central Africa

In Rwanda, the justice system has been slowed down by the significant number of cases relating to the genocide. Gacaca jurisdictions were piloted in 2001 to help speed up the number of cases coming before the courts. In July 2006, Gacaca courts were established nationwide, aiming to deliver justice to more than 700,000 suspected participants in the genocide. The courts run parallel to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), based in Tanzania, which was established in 1994 to prosecute the planners and instigators of the genocide.

In Burundi, the justice system faces considerable delays in processing the number of cases awaiting trial. The establishment of a transitional justice system is currently under review, following recommendations from the UN.

In the DRC, a customary justice system exists alongside the formal justice system. In 2006, Thomas Lubanga Dyilo, the founder and supposed leader of the Union of Congolese Patriots, was arrested and appeared before the International Criminal Court (ICC) accused of war crimes and forced recruitment of child soldiers. His arrest follows investigations conducted by the ICC since 2003 into serious crimes committed in the DRC during the conflict.

Penal reform challenges in the region

Prison systems in Rwanda, Burundi and the DRC are characterised by overcrowding, a significant number of pre-trial detainees and people detained without charge, out-dated prison buildings and problems of health and hygiene.

In the DRC, the national problem of food security is compounded within the prison service due to the absence of state food provisions to prisoners. A significant number of deaths in prison have resulted from malnutrition.

In Rwanda, penal reform challenges stem from the significant number of suspected participants to the genocide. The high volume of pending criminal trials, along with the numbers of people detained in custody, either serving prison terms or undertaking community service, is placing an enormous pressure on the criminal justice system.

In Burundi, considerable challenges relate to daily prison management. Although prisons are under the management of the penitentiary administration, prison guards report separately to the police department. The implementation of community service as an alternative to imprisonment is currently under review.

How PRI is addressing these challenges

PRI’s work in the Great Lakes region is focused on providing both institutional and civil society support to bring about penal reform.

In Rwanda, PRI is supporting the National Service of the Gacaca Jurisdictions through its Gacaca monitoring and research programme. Using an ‘action research’ methodology, PRI has been gathering testimonials of all participants to the Gacaca jurisdictions since the first pilot was established in 2001. Research reports have been submitted to the authorities to inform them about the work of the jurisdictions on the ground.

PRI is also working with the Ministry of Internal Security in Rwanda, providing training to prison guards and court clerks based in prison, as well as supporting the implementation of a software programme to improve prisoner file management.

In Burundi, PRI provides institutional and civil society support through its partnerships with the Burundian Association for the Protection of Human Rights and Held People (APRODH), the General Direction for Penitentiary Affairs (DGAP) and the police. Through these partnerships, PRI has delivered training courses and established a steering committee to identify priorities for improving prison management in the country.

Following a series of evaluation visits to the DRC, PRI is focusing its programme activities on the implementation of prison farms throughout the country. This will eventually enable prison administrations to improve food security, thereby minimising the risks of malnutrition and ill health among prisoners.

PRI publications and resources

Monitoring and research report on the Gacaca information gathering during the national Phase (2006) 
 
Integrated report on Gacaca research and monitoring pilot phase January 2002–December 2004 (2005) 
 
From camp to hill: the reintegration of released prisoners (2004)
 
The guilty plea procedure: cornerstone of the Rwandan justice system (2004) 
 
Gacaca jurisdictions and its preparations, July-December 2001 (2002)