Because the world is not always beautiful and angelic

Because the world is not always beautiful and angelic

The genocide in Rwanda in 1994 was a result of colonial policies that favored the Tutsi ethnic group over the Hutu. Kizito Mihigo, a Tutsi survivor of the genocide, witnessed his father being killed by his Hutu neighbors. After the genocide, efforts were made to promote unity among Rwandans, with a memorial erected in Kigali and preserved church benches in Nyamata. The current leader, President Paul Kagame, promotes unity and supports arts and traditions regardless of ethnicity. There is still fear and reluctance to speak freely in Rwanda, highlighting the need for sincere preparation and education for catharsis to occur. In Cyprus, steps are being taken to address past events and shed light on difficult times, with a call for the President to support reunification efforts and create a Truth Commission.

Truth commission in Cyprus is crucial to reconciliation

Truth commission in Cyprus is crucial to reconciliation

Achilleas Demetriades, a human rights lawyer and former presidential candidate in Cyprus, proposed converting the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) into a truth commission during a meeting in the UK parliament. His proposal aims to enable the CMP to investigate the circumstances and cause of death of missing persons, beyond its current function of locating and disinterring missing individuals. Demetriades suggests amending the CMP’s terms of reference to allow investigations into how 1,510 Greek Cypriots and 492 Turkish Cypriots disappeared. He argues for statutory immunity from prosecution for those providing information to the commission, noting that current guarantees might not suffice for the broader scope of a truth commission. Transitional justice processes like truth commissions, exemplified by South Africa’s Truth Commission established in 1995, are highlighted as effective in overcoming conflict and promoting reconciliation. The article also mentions the UN secretary-general’s personal envoy to Cyprus, Maria Holguin, and the potential for establishing a truth commission in Cyprus, with support from the UN high commissioner for human rights, Michelle Bachelet, emphasizing the importance of truth for reconciliation and preventing the repetition of conflicts.