The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs of the United Republic of Tanzania, Dr. Mary Michael Nagu today visited the Tribunal’s headquarters office in Arusha.

During her visit, Dr. Nagu, who was accompanied by three other officials including Dr. Stephen Bwana, Judge in Charge of the Arusha High Court of Tanzania, held talks with the President, Judge Dennis C.M. Byron, the Prosecutor Mr. Hassan Bubacar Jallow and the Registrar Mr. Adama Dieng. Dr. Nagu also met with other senior officials of the Tribunal including the representatives of the ICTR Staff Association and the Chief of External Relations and Strategic Planning Mr. Roland Amoussouga and Dr. Sarah Kilemi, Chief of Administrative Support Services with whom she held a very fruitful discussion on the need to establish a taskforce to look at various ways of assisting and enabling Tanzanian nationals in the Tribunal to be absorbed into the National Workforce after the closure of the Tribunal. The Minister promised to lead in the establishment of this taskforce which will include representatives of all relevant Tanzanian Government Ministries and of the Tribunal

The Minister was briefed on the current developments and operations of the Tribunal as well as implementation of the ICTR Completion Strategy. She also explored ways and means of promoting further cooperation and discussed ICTR capacity building support to the Tanzanian judiciary, transfer of know how, and use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) tools to enhance the Tanzanian judiciary. Issues relating to the ICTR legacy and archives were also discussed.

Dr. Nagu expressed her Government’s support to the work of the Tribunal at this critical stage and reiterated Tanzania’s commitment to ensure a smooth and successful implementation of the Completion Strategy. She commended the work of the Tribunal saying it had played an important role in promoting peace and security in Rwanda, the Great African Lakes region and the rest of the world. She added that the international community would also draw important lessons from the experience and the achievements of the ICTR.

Dr. Nagu witnessed a demonstration by the Court Management of real time transcript production system.

Today’s visit by the Minister comes a few months after that of the Chief Justice and the Registrar of the High Court of Tanzania.