The high profiled conference on the abolition of death penalty held in Kigali, concluded with participants adopting useful recommendations that will enhance countries towards the penalty.
Some of the adopted recommendations were the recognition to put in place legal instruments that will support the values of African culture.
This has a connection to limit the use of the execution of mankind putting them on a death row so as to reduce the number of offences for which it may be imposed.
Participants also agreed human rights should be highly respected to ban the penalty like second optional protocol to the International Convention to Civil and Political Rights and align national legislation accordingly.
Countries were further urged to establish a standstill on executions with a view to abolishing the penalty adhering to principles of healing justice.
Minister of Justice Tharcisse Karugarama said that death should only be understood as a natural concept.
Karugarama added that there are many other alternatives than the application of a death penalty.
“Death is an enemy of mankind. Why should we let it to be closer to us? Why don’t we leave it to come as a thief instead of us bringing it ourselves? If you kill someone, you have not punished him or her. In fact you have assisted him to go innocently. It’s the family he leaves behind that will suffer,” Said Karugarama.
According to Karugarama Rwanda’s decision to abolish death penalty was due to the negative outcomes from the penalty.
Several countries including Rwandans have been in the favour of the abolition death penalty while 16 countries are still in favour of death penalty.
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