NAIROBI - Regional journalists are undergoing a two-day training on international criminal justice and terrorism in a workshop that is taking place in the Kenyan capital Nairobi. The workshop was organized by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), together with the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) Kenya Chapter, in conjunction with Peace Pen Communications (PPC). The event that attracted practitioners from six regional countries that include; Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Sudan, Kenya and Tanzania, was officially opened by Mutula Kilonzo, Kenya’s Minister for Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs. In his remarks, Kilonzo said that Kenya’s media played an important role before, during and after the post election violence. “The media can be saluted for providing important information on the election and putting pressure on the political elite to reach a political solution during the mediation talks,” Kilonzo said. Participants examined various subjects, including the overview on mechanisms of the transitional justice in Africa, international criminal justice, and the International Criminal Court (ICC). Amnesties and immunities for Heads of State and the effects of the ICC indictments of Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir were also among the issues discussed. Robert Turyahebwa, one of the participants from Rwanda discussed the role of the media in transitional justice process. He said that for a transitional justice process to be truly effective in helping to restore trust in people and institutions, it is critical that even the conceptualization and design phase be truly inclusive and participatory. It was also noted that although Kenya has taken a significant step towards bringing justice to victims, it is important to ensure that these national mechanisms function in terms of acceptable standards. Ends
