Hon AbuBakr Ogle makes a point on the floor of the House East African Legislative Assembly has passed a Resolution to form a sel...
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| Hon AbuBakr Ogle makes a point on the floor of the House |
East
African Legislative Assembly has passed a Resolution to form a select
Committee on Genocide. The Committee shall in addition look at the
security impact on the Community of genocide ideology including genocide
denial.
The
Resolution moved yesterday by the Hon AbuBakr Ogle and unanimously
supported by Members gives the EALA Commission the go-ahead to nominate
seven persons consisting of at least one Member from each Partner
State.
The
Select Committee is charged with considering ways and means of
combating, outlawing and preventing genocide. It shall make proposals
on how EALA and other Institutions of the EAC can provide leadership in
the fight and prevention of genocide. This should include the
development of instruments and institutional capacity in the Community.
The
Select Committee has three months from the time of its appointment to
execute its mandate. The resolution was supported by Members who
contributed including Hon Christopher Bazivamo, Hon Dora Byamukama, Hon
Abubakar Zein, Hon Patricia Hajabakiga, Hon Mumbi Ngaru, Hon Hafsa Mossi
and Hon Mike Sebalu.
Rule
80 of the Rules of Procedure allows the House at any time upon a motion
to appoint a Select Committee to be nominated by the Commission for the
consideration or investigation of such matter(s) as the House may refer
to it and to report the same to the House.
In
August 2013, EALA passed an initial resolution on the matter where it
also urged the Summit of EAC Heads of State to institute mechanisms to
stop the perpetuation of genocide ideology and denial in the region and
to take appropriate action.
The
Resolution according to Hon Ogle is buoyed by the fact that the Summit
is entitled to review the state of peace, security and good governance
in accordance with Article 11 of the EAC Treaty.
At the
same time, under article 124 of the Treaty, the Partner States
undertake to co-operate and to enhance handling of joint measures for
maintaining and promoting peace and security. Genocide denial is often
defined as an attempt to deny or minimize the scale and severity of an
incidence of genocide.
The
EAC region has suffered from the negative impact of genocide. Last year,
the Republic of Rwanda commemorated the 20th Anniversary of the
Genocide against the Tutsi. In 1994, the entire globe watched in
trepidation as the Republic of Rwanda went up in flames.
Thousands
of lives were lost, homes demolished and economies desiccated as genocides descended on peace-loving Rwandans with machetes, knives,
axes, guns and clubs.Analysts contend that the international community
came on board, albeit late, by establishing the United Nations
International Court of Rwanda to try suspects accused of masterminding
the genocide.
The
country also sought for reparation and justice as close to two million
people were arraigned and sentenced by the ‘Gacaca’ Courts, a community
justice system set up between 2001 and 2012 to try those involved in the
genocide against the Tutsi.
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