Achieving reconciliation through prosecution in the courts: Lessons from Rwanda

Abstract In the aftermath of innumerable genocides and civil wars, the Nuremburg promise of “never again” seems a fast‐fading dream. Despite considerable resources being allocated toward prosecuting individuals for international crimes, there is a sense that there has been no justice for the victims and that they have provided no sense of deterrence. Are trials an effective method to bring about reconciliation postconflict, or are they simply a waste of precious resources better used to rehabilitate the victims? Studying the Rwandan postconflict prosecutions, this paper offers recommendations for maximizing available resources to provide an atmosphere in which reconciliation can become a reality.