Rwandan President Paul Kagame

RWANDA. PRESIDENT KAGAME AND FORMER EU ENVOY DISCUSS DEATH PENALTY

April 14, 2007: the former European Union Special Representative for the Great Lakes Region, Mr Aldo Ajello, persuaded the Rwandan Government to sign the international moratorium on the death penalty. "I have discussed the issue of Rwanda signing the proposal for the abolition of the death penalty with the president (Kagame) and he is supportive of the process." Ajello explained that the signing of the international declaration abolishing the death and the corresponding moratorium would see Rwanda join a long list of countries worldwide that recognise the value of humanity.
He noted that apart from placing the country at a better global position in its judicial reform, the approval of the 'Hands off Cain' initiative would also assist Rwanda in dealing with the legal challenges the country faces such as bringing the perpetrators of the 1994 genocide to justice.
The change would enable countries which arrest genocide suspects but which object to capital punishment to extradite them to Rwanda. The development comes at a time when Rwanda is debating the abolition of the death penalty, with anti-death penalty legislation now before the parliament. (Sources: The New Times-Kigali, 15/04/2007)