Zanzibar!

I am relaxing in the exotic island of Zanzibar right now. It's so beautiful here. For the first few days we were at a resort in the north of the island (Nungwi beach). Most of the day was spent 20 m underwater with my scuba suit on. On my first dive I saw a huge manta ray!! (divers will understand the significance of this!) I was diving the Mnemba Atoll which is a very small atoll off the coast of Zanzibar. It has a small but very exclusive resort on it, and their policy is if you step foot on the atoll, you have to stay the night (that will set you back around US$700 a night). Bill Gates had booked out the entire place for his private millenium celebration.

For the last 3 days we've been in the busy little city of Stonetown. This is the capital of Zanzibar. It has a fantastic atmosphere - a mixture of african, arab and colonial cultures all blended together. We bumped into some of the local Baha'is here and we met the rest of the local community. It was a very interesting and eye-opening experience! It really showed me how the Baha'i community is so incredible diverse and spread out - even in an exotic little island off the coast of Africa!

This afternoon we fly to Uganda which will be an action packed week. We're going gorilla and chimpanzee trecking. We'll also visit the Baha'i House of Worship in Kampala. Well back to more packing... can't miss the plane!

(By the way, for those who were wondering, I managed to spot my cheetah in the Serengeti.. actually we found three! they're amazing animals!)

Serengeti!

Hello from the Serengeti!!

Im on Safari right now for a few days - checking out the wild Serengeti. It's awesome! It's National Geographic Live! We've done quite a few game drives over the last few days - a sunrise one today... and more in the afternoon. It was incredible. We've seen every animal that lives in this area except for Cheetah and Rhino. We will see Rhino at the Ngorongoro Crater tomorrow.

I hope to get a chance to upload some pictures soon.

Internet is VERY expensive here... we're staying in a lodge in the middle of the Serengeti, so that would explain! We had wild buffalo walk through the complex today... we have no fence separating us from the wilderness! LOVE IT!!

Goodbye Party

The Presidential Embrace
Originally uploaded by romulus19.

With 2 days left at the Tribunal, the goodbye parties have begun. Last night a group of around 60 interns and staff came to Masai Camp for Cristian and my goodbye party... we had a great time but will miss all the friends we have made here.

On Thursday evening my parents arrive... on Friday I show them around the Tribunal and do my final security check out procedures... and then on Saturday, its off for a three week trip around East Africa starting in the Serengeti, relaxing in Zanzibar and ending in the Ugandan jungles with some Chimpanzee and Silverback Gorilla trecking! It will be a great trip!

Safari at Arusha National Park

KILIMANJARO!!!!
Originally uploaded by romulus19.

On Saturday a group of us went on Safari to the Arusha National Park. We saw everything from giraffe to zebra to monkeys jumping through the trees. At one point we were being charged by a couple of full grown buffalo! It got our adrenalin pumping! It's amazing how close all this is from Arusha.. only a half hour drive and you're surrounded by wild game! I love Africa!!

Des Forges Testimony

For the last 10 days a Human Rights Watch expert on Rwanda, Allison Des Forges, has been testifying in the Government II trial. I've been sitting in court every day watching the examination in chief, as well as the cross-examination. It's been fascinating to hear her insights during direct-exam of the apathy of the west in the Rwandan Genocide. The cross was also very interesting to watch as one of the lawyers has been leading the defence team for the last few days - Ben Gumpert. He is a well respected barrister from the UK. I actually had lunch with him the other day and he is as sharp in person as he is in court. Here is a little story from a news agency regarding the testimony.



DEFENCE BARRED FROM RAISING PRESIDENT JUVENAL HABYARIMANA’S DEATH
Arusha, June 1st 2005 - The defence teams in the trial of four former Cabinet ministers were on Wednesday barred from questioning an expert witness on the assassination of former Rwandan president Juvenal Habyarimana.

The judges in the case held that American historian Alison Des Forges could not answer the question as to who was responsible for the shooting down of the plane carrying Habyarimana on April 6th 1994 in Kigali.

“The question is not relevant to the case,” said the presiding Judge Khalida Rachid Khan (Pakistan).

The chamber further stated that the downing of the plane is not an issue before the court and Des Forges did not mention those responsible in her book “Leave None to Tell the Story”, nor in her report prepared for the case.

Lawyer Ben Gumpert (United Kingdom) for one of the accused, Justin Mugenzi, former minister of Commerce, had asked Des Forges, whom he was cross-examining, if she knew who brought down the plane.

All the four defence teams had vigorously supported Gumpert’s position that the issue was relevant to the case and Des Forges could talk about it as an historian.

Gumpert got into trouble with one of the judges, Emile Francis Short (Ghana) when he stated that it was nonsense for the judge to suggest that the issue of the downing of the plane was irrelevant to the case.

“I think you should also be mindful of the words you use. I hope you will choose your words carefully in future,” Judge Short told Gumpert. After a while, Gumpert apologised and Judge Short accepted his apology.

Mugenzi is jointly accused in the trial known as Government II with former Minister of Health, Casimir Bizimungu, and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jerome Bicamumpaka, and former Minister of Public Service, Prosper Mugiraneza.

They have all denied six charges of genocide and crimes against humanity.

The trial, which opened on November 3rd 2003 continues on Thursday with the cross-examination of Des Forges.

FONDATION HIRONDELLE - HIRONDELLE PRESS AGENCY IN ARUSHA
INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL TRIBUNAL FOR RWANDA