“Only when all perpetrators are taken into account can we fulfil the expectations that all victims rightly have: that their voices are heard, their suffering is acknowledged, and that there is justice for the crimes committed against their loved ones,” said Special Adviser Alice Wairimu Nderitu.
The 1994 Rwandan genocide, fueled by decades of ethnic tensions, resulted in the massacre of more than a million Tutsis and moderate Hutus by extremist Hutu militias and civilians.
Meanwhile, the Srebrenica genocide took place in 1995 during the Bosnian War, when the Bosnian Serb army systematically executed more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys in and around the town of Srebrenica, which had been declared a citizen of Bosnia. UN safe area.
While international courts in both Rwanda and Yugoslavia have made efforts to bring accountability for such crimes, there are still over 1,000 fugitives today genocide from Rwanda and thousands of suspected war criminals from the former Yugoslavia who are still at large, Ms Nderitu said.
Linking accountability to prevention
Special Adviser Wairimu Nderitu stressed the strong link between accountability and prevention, warning that the lack of accountability for past violations sets the stage for future violations.
She stressed that genocide is the most serious of all crimes because of its intent to “obliterate a national, ethnical, racial or religious group from the face of the earth,” adding that “the wheels of justice must be kept turning, the voices of victims must be heard and all perpetrators must be held accountable for their actions.”
Justice is essential, but not sufficient
Also of great importance, according to the Special Adviser, is the need to promote healing and reconciliation once the voice of justice has spoken and judgment has been made.
“Justice is an essential condition for healing and reconciliation, but it is not sufficient,” she said.
She added that building a future free from past crimes requires sustained efforts from both leaders and all citizens within their communities.
