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Viewing cable 06KIGALI381, RWANDA: FY 2006 ESF PROJECT PROPOSALS

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06KIGALI381 2006-04-24 14:27 2011-08-24 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Kigali
VZCZCXYZ0006
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLGB #0381/01 1141427
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 241427Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY KIGALI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2658
UNCLAS KIGALI 000381 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AFIN AMGT EAID ECON PGOV PHUM PREL RW
SUBJECT:  RWANDA: FY 2006 ESF PROJECT PROPOSALS 
 
REF:  STATE 59002 
 
1.  Per reftel post submits the following summaries of two 
proposed projects for FY 2006 Africa regional ESF funding, 
including the total amount requested for each project and an 
explanation of how the projects would advance our MPP 
objectives and U.S. national interests.  The projects focus 
on strengthening the judicial sector and media 
professionalism and press freedom in Rwanda, both of which 
are critical elements of our MPP strategic goals.  Embassy 
developed these proposals in close consultation with USAID- 
Rwanda. 
 
Justice Sector 
-------------- 
 
2.  Post requests USD 500,000 for justice sector reforms. 
The justice sector in Rwanda has made notable progress in 
the last several years, including Constitutional support for 
a fully independent judiciary in 2003, a complete overhaul 
of judicial staff in 2004, and jurisdictional restructuring 
to match new executive administrative regions in 2006. 
Unfortunately, while these reforms have substantially 
improved and modernized the Rwandan court system, they have 
also exacerbated a substantial backlog of cases.  The 
regular court system now has a backlog of over 47,000 cases 
(for about 250 judges).  This is expected to worsen as 
category 1 genocide cases (the most serious category of 
genocide-related crimes) are transferred from gacaca courts. 
However, the justice sector is taking the problem very 
seriously, and is preparing an approach that will include 
temporary circuit-riding teams of judges and prosecutors as 
well as a longer-term approach to build IT links among 
courts, prosecutors, and police.  Aiding this effort would 
strengthen the rule of law in Rwanda, and contribute to the 
country's continued stability and evolving democracy. 
 
3.  USAID has experience with similar activities in other 
countries (e.g., Kosovo and Serbia), and would draw on this 
expertise in designing a program, in conjunction with the 
Rwandan Supreme Court and other partners, to reduce the case 
backlog.  Support would likely include:  training in case 
management for court registrars and clerks; development of 
streamlined case management procedures; short-term 
assistance by law students (or similar) in reviewing and 
making initial viability recommendations on old files; and 
support for expansion of IT facilities.  The activity 
itself would be managed by USAID and implemented through a 
USAID rapid contracting mechanism (IQC).  Progress toward 
MPP goals would be measured by the rate at which the pending 
cases are processed and by the overall reduction in volume. 
 
4.  A sub-element of this project would support a judges' 
association to help more aggressive mid/lower-level judges 
push for more judicial independence, the local abunzi 
(mediation committees), and further training on court 
financing.  The draft report for the recently completed 
USAID-funded court financing project recommended 
substantially more training in this area. 
 
Press 
----- 
 
5.  Post requests USD 200,000 to improve media 
professionalism.  While Rwandan media today enjoy greater 
freedom than they have in recent years, they also suffer 
from some restrictions and from extensive government 
criticism and harassment.  It is true that Rwandan 
journalism is of a uniformly low quality, and some 
criticisms are justified.  Embassy proposes addressing this 
problem by supporting a media training center, the "Great 
Lakes Media Institute," in Kigali. 
 
6.  The center, which has already attracted pledges of 
substantial support from American media outlets, would work 
with the National University of Rwanda (NUR) Journalism 
School to promote the strengthening of the journalism 
environment through training.  The training center would 
serve as an extension program of the NUR School of 
Journalism and Communication to strengthen the school's 
mission of reaching out to the journalist community.  NUR 
journalism students would receive academic credit for 
studies completed at the institute.  NUR professors could 
periodically teach and/or take courses, and visiting 
journalism lecturers and experts at the institute could 
conduct short courses at NUR. 
 
7.  This training, documentation and research initiative 
aims to elevate the current quality of journalism in radio, 
televisions, newspapers, photojournalism, the multimedia 
sector and documentary video for practicing journalists and 
university students in Rwanda and the Great Lakes region. 
More objective and reliable media in Rwanda would help 
reduce tensions in the country and the region, and provide 
citizens with a better opportunity to make informed 
decisions about governance and economic issues.  Support for 
the institute would be managed by USAID through a grant or 
cooperative agreement with the Great Lakes Media Institute, 
which would run the training courses.  Progress toward 
achieving MPP strategic goals in the area of enhancing 
democratic systems and practices would be measured by the 
number of participating trainees and the degree to which the 
Rwandan government stops criticizing the overall caliber of 
journalists and specific newspaper articles and radio 
broadcasts. 
 
Arietti