human rights groups and other non-government organisations in Rwanda appealed...

human rights groups and other non-government organisations in Rwanda appealed to President Paul Kagame's to abolish capital punishment, a move they believed would improve the country's image abroad and promote forgiveness and reconciliation at home. 
"If capital punishment is abolished, Rwanda's credibility will not only improve in the eyes of the international community but the families of prisoners condemned to death will appreciate the government gesture and it will build national reconciliation and promote a culture of forgiveness among communities in the country," said Andre Gakwaya of Grands Lacs Hebdo, a journal and human-rights organisation. "Death is not a deterrent to violent crime."
Mr Gakwaya, who was formerly with the Rwanda Human Rights Commission, was speaking during an inter-regional meeting on peace building in the Great Lakes region held in Tanzania from December 13-15, which brought together over 80 media people and civil society organisation representatives from Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia.
An estimated 10,000 prisoners in Rwanda had so far been condemned to death for participating in the 1994 genocide.
However, the Rwandan government said it could only abolish the death penalty if the people so decided through a referendum.
However, analysts said if the law was abolished, the Tutsis would perceive that there was no justice and could seek revenge on the Hutus living in Rwanda and those returning home. They said that this would perpetuate new cycles of violence. An estimated 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed by extremist Hutu militias during the 100-day genocide. Mr Gakwaya said when at the commission, he approached the Inspector General of Government, Ombudsman Tito Rutaremara, who said the law could only be reversed by the people through a referendum.