In her bid to move on and catch up with the many lost years, Rwanda has worked hard registering tremendous achievements, winning various accolades in her wake. This has been because, among many reasons, of having a focused leadership and a committed people who will not just jump onto any band wagon. It’s this quality that led to Rwanda not falling for the Principle of Universal Jurisdiction which she felt still had so many flaws that needed to be remedied first. Universal jurisdiction or universality principle is a controversial principle in international law whereby states claim criminal jurisdiction over persons whose alleged crimes were committed outside the boundaries of the prosecuting state, regardless of nationality, country of residence, or any other relation with the prosecuting country. However, opponents, such as Henry Kissinger, argue that Universal jurisdiction risks creating universal tyranny — that of judges. According to Kissinger, as a practical matter, since any number of states could set up such universal jurisdiction tribunals, the process could quickly degenerate into politically-driven show trials to attempt to place a quasi-judicial stamp on a state’s enemies or opponents. Just like Kissinger, Rwandan leadership did not buy the Universal Jurisdiction idea wholesale. They expressed their reservations clearly and consistently. Therefore, the arrest, based on a controversial warrant, of Chief of State Protocol, Rose Kabuye on Sunday vindicates Rwanda. How a person entitled to diplomatic immunity, on state duty could be treated in such a way is a sure sign of tyranny, tyranny of judges! The fact that the Commission of the African Union had requested all UN member states, in particular the European Union States, to impose a moratorium on the execution of such warrants until all the legal and political issues were exhaustively discussed between the three and that consultations had actually started, is really absurd. Ends
