Kagame speaks at the 12th National Dialogue.

President Paul Kagame has directed the minister of justice to ensure that genocide victims be compensated as soon as possible.

Kagame said those with the ability to pay, should not be given the choice to decide compensation period.

“It’s upon the justice system to put a re-payment schedule to ensure compensation of genocide victims comes to an end,” he said adding, “All levels should engage in addressing this issue for once and for all.”

Speaking at the 12th National Dialogue, Kagame was frustrated the issue kept coming back every year.

However, The Executive Secretary of the National Commission for the Fight Against Genocide (CNLG), Jean de Dieu Mucyo said 80% of the victims of the 1994 Genocide have been compensated.

To many survivors, these figures remain controversial, baseless  and  even made-up according to some. ”The vast majority  of genocide victims scattered on the hills of Rwanda are yet to be compensated 20 years later”, said Albert Gasake, a lawyer who closely follow-up the subject of reparation

Research published in June  2012 by Legal Aid Forum (Rwanda) based on interviews with over 2,700 claimants in Rwanda shows that gacaca court judgments are the “hardest to enforce”, with 92% of all genocide-related judgements yet to be enforced.   The report published by the Minister office mid last year indicated that over 2 out of 3 survivors had a Gacaca compensation judgement waiting for compensation.

Mucyo said perpetrators are reluctant to compensate 100% of victim’s damaged properties.

Some deliberately resisting paying indemnities others hide or sell off properties to claim inability to compensate.

Mucyo emphasised that compensating survivors is a vital tool to ensure societal cohesion.

The Original article was published by the News of Rwanda.com http://www.newsofrwanda.com/featured1/25792/kagame-orders-genocide-victims-be-compensated-immediately/