Genocidal archives: The African context - Genocide in Rwanda

When looking at international criminal justice archival theory and practice, it is difficult to find many examples. There are the two current ad-hoc international criminal tribunals dealing with the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and Rwanda (ICTR) in The Hague, Netherlands and Arusha, Tanzania, respectively. Prior to 1993 one has to go back to the late 1940's and the Nuremberg and Tokyo War Crimes Trials. This article asks whether there is such a thing as international criminal justice archival theory and details several of the unique aspects of record-keeping practice in an international organisation that deals with genocide and other crimes against humanity. Much valuable and innovative work has been carried out by the staff of the records and archives unit of ICTR since 1998 and the continuation of these approaches will be vital to future similar organisations. In light of current developments to deal with the former Iraqi regime in a hybrid internatioinal and/or domestic Iraqi court, valuable lessons can be learnt from the experience of the ICTY and the ICTR.