Is justice worth pursuing in Africa?

The Rwandan genocide court in Arusha has been controversial

This week the United Nations War Crimes Tribunal in Arusha, Tanzania, resumes hearing the cases against some of those charged with playing a key role in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.

The tribunal's hearing comes as defence lawyers at the UN-backed court for war crimes in Sierra Leone gave their legal objections to indictments handed down on Liberia's former President Charles Taylor.

But away from the arguments inside the court rooms, have come claims that pursuing justice in Africa is too long winded and expensive.

The cases sometimes go on for years and cost millions of dollars that could instead be used for development projects and job creation.

Do you believe justice is worth pursuing at any price? Do international courts in Africa provide value for money?

A selection of your comments are published below

---

The UN tribunal has spent half a billion dollars and secured only 12 convictions. Given that there were something like half a million people killed in the Rwanda genocide, one finds the tribunal has spent $1,000 per murder. An astonishing sum that seems to value the dead more than the living. The UN clearly needs an effective inspector general. What is going on in the war crimes tribunal? How is the money being spent? Bureaucratic corruption on such a scale simply compounds the injustice.
Arthur Edelstein,USA

Would the BBC ask such a question if it was about justice anywhere else but Africa? As Martin Luther King Jr. stated: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
Michelle Lauren,Canada

Justice is worth all the pursuit in stable economies but where there is poverty there is no justice. You have to address poverty first and the rest will follow.
Blessing Ruzengwe, Zimbabwe

I dont think it is worth pursing it just a waste of money that should be used in developmental problems in Africa.
,Nigeria.

I do not believe it is a waste of time and money. Poverty is not just a state of lack of basic goods, it is also a state of luck of basic human rights.
Given Chansa,UK

I believe the trials are a mere waste of valuable resources. The United Nations should do everything possible to prevent the occurrence of the criminal activities instead of simply "watching" and then act when thousands have been killed.
Jomo,Malawi

I think justice is worthy persuing at any price.However, in the case of UNICTR,in Tanzania, I think there are too much workers.Rwanda is already a peaceful state,she even hold a peaceful general election two months ago.ICTR,must have fewer staffs,to reduce the running costs.Only jugdes and few office workers, should remain, to keep on the hearing.
Aikande Kwayu,Tanzania

There is no global government, or police force to enforce the rulings of international courts with universal jurisdiction yet. The time for these international courts is not ripe. Funding should be directed towards Africa's own courts if the international 'community' is really concerned about justice.
Scott,USA

Injustice is more expensive than justice.
Elias Mutungi,Uganda/USA

Justice must be pursued at any cost. African leaders must know this and maybe, start addressing Africa unity and development, instead of killing each other. Moreover, this will discourage African tyrants and dictators.
Toye Fakinlede,Nigeria

indeed it is a waste of time and money for justice that does nothing to improve the lives of survivors.I see the courts as money generating machines to enrich the judges and lawyers.Justice should be persued in timely manner but not to go on for decades costing a fortune that is badly needed by the hungry world. African leaders are to blame for they are the instigators of the problems in the first place.All dictators must be prosecuted in international courts while in office in order to eradicate a repeat of Rwanda case.
Amosi Mwesigye,Uganda/USA

WHAT ARE THE PRIMARY PROBLEMS IN AFRICA? JUSTICE? NO! IT IS SURVIVAL. AND AS SUCH SHOULD DEALT WITH. JUSTICE IS A LUXURY FOR AFRICANS.
ATSBEHA YIMAM,USA

I am not asking for retribution but it appears that with a medium like the Truth and Reconciliation Commission we are developing two types of justice; one for the African and the other for the advanced countries. The second world war was more than half a century ago and the Jews will leave no stone unturned to track down and execute those who committed crimes against humanity but we were confronted with a similar problem in South Africa we were content with a truth a reconciliation commission that has no bite. Justice should be the same for all regardless of colour
Kweku Ananse,canada; ex-Ghanaian

Why bother? The court judgements don't seem to have any real impact on the people or life on the ground.
Jerry W.,USA

The world community, in an effort to be seen to be doing something, has engaged in this public waste of time in the form of genocide trials while ignoring brand new and even more public genocide going on sometimes within the same regions that the criminals on trial committed theirs. Africa is full of mass murderes and many will never even be seen in court. Most of our leaders are dripping with blood from their victims and the same courts sitting now have no plans to try them. The UN only deals with enermies of the USA. The rest are left alone to keep up their bad work with impunity. The money could be used to educate the children and help shape up the future. These courts are a complete waste of time, money, effort, and perception.
Benson Magaba,Zimbabwe

I strongly believe that Justice is worth pursuing in Africa. Those who committed attrocities must be tried and if found guilty face the full penality of the law. This will serve as an example for all in the future.
Isha Sesay,Sierra Leone

Let us put the issue in its correct perspective. The question here is not the pursuit of justice or the cost of that pursuit, it is rather whether the International courts have the capacity, financial, moral and otherwise, to bring war crimes culprits to book. One therefore in this regard would want to look at the endless list of culprits who escaped punishment like Idi Amin, Charles Taylor, Paul Koroma, Menguistu, Aideed and others in order to assess the impact and effectiveness of the courts particularly in Africa. How can we talk about the value of the courts when so many people, like Taylor, can commit crimes with impunity and live comfartably in presidential villas abroad? The courts must be serious, sincere and honest about its task of bringing criminals and miscreants to book for justice to prevail.
Ernest Cole,Connecticut, USA.

The money used in pursuing people who committed crimes against humanity should be used to fight poverty and AIDS. These vices are threatening human existence especially in rural areas.
CHARLES MUKUKA,USA

To Charles Mukuka, USA. Do you think it is possible to fight poverty and AIDS without peace and justice? Crimes against humanity commited by war criminals, tryrants and dictators fuel poverty,the spread of HIV, and social result in social unrest. Do we Africans not deserve to get justice at any cost when our women and children are raped? Do we not deserve justice when our hands are amputated and our children are dragged out, drugged and tortured to fight wars and do unspeakable things. Justice denied only leads to further wars.
patricia,Nigeria-USA

If it has no political undertone. I believe TRUTH & RECONCILIATION COMMISSION is far better and cost effective.It does not only heal wounds but helps in the development of the nations.
Emmanuel KaiKai,

Justice is one of the pillars that prop up any society, the absence of which would lead to a social malaise unmeasureable in purely financial terms. Being seen to be intolerant to breaking the laws of the land and impinging on basic human rights not only acts as a detterent, it also gives faith to all that tomorrow WILL be a better day.
Julio,East Africa

Sure, justice, especially that for war criminals, is worth pursuing at any price. Those who commit these terrible crimes should be judged and if found guilty, punished no matter how long it takes or how much it costs.
Stephen Manah,USA/Sierra Leone

Justice must be pursued in Africa, and elsewhere, no matter what the cost is. Without a firm justice system we will only encourage more tyrants and dictators to spring up, all of whom will take the money earmarked for development projects and spend it on new palaces, weapons, and luxuries from abroad. We could even start putting them on trial whilst they are still in office in their homeland - that way we can make sure they are arrested as soon as they try to set foot outside their protective borders.
Rob,ex-Zim, now in UK