October 19, 2007
Reverberations are still being felt from the mass killings of
ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus in Rwanda in 1994, and a St.
John’s graduate is playing an essential role in helping to bring
about justice for the victims.
As part of the DLIS 2007 Colloquium Series, Angeline Djampou
’93G spoke on October 10 in St. Augustine Hall at the Queens campus
where she shared her experiences working for the International
Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). Djampou, who is originally
from Cameroon, is the chief of the Legal Library and Reference
Section at ICTR in Arusha, Tanzania. She stood before a rapt
audience as she offered her insider’s view of the work currently
being done in Rwanda.
The ICTR was created by a 1994 United Nations resolution which
recognized that serious violations of humanitarian law were
committed in Rwanda. Hundreds of thousands of Rwandans were
brutally slaughtered and part of the purpose of creating the ICTR
was to contribute to the process of national reconciliation in
Rwanda and to the maintenance of peace in the region. The
organization was established specifically for the prosecution of
persons responsible for genocide and other serious violations of
international humanitarian law committed in the territory of Rwanda
and also deals with the prosecution of Rwandan citizens responsible
for genocide and other such violations of international law
committed during the same period in the territory of neighboring
states.
During her presentation, Djampou offered a bit of history of the
ICTR and told her audience of her work in the library which is
charged with providing, assisting and making available to the Trial
Chambers, the Registry, the Office of the Prosecutor, defense
counsel, legal officers and all the ICTR staff the information and
documentation they require to accomplish their duties. Djampou said
that with the work of the ICTR, no longer can those in elevated
positions rely on their status to escape punishment. The presence
of ICTR has contributed to greater access to information, the
promotion of libraries and the proliferation of greater training,
she said. According to Djampou, members of the ICTR investigated
and formulated cases against some of the accused with the first
prosecutions occurring in 1998. At present, she said, there are: 29
accused on trial; 27 judgments completed for 33 accused; six cases
on appeal; six accused awaiting trial; and 18 accused still at
large.
While there is still a dearth of libraries in the country –
including the lack of a public library system – Djampou said they
play an invaluable role to the populace. The library was the first
to offer training initiatives, she said, and even though the legal
libraries are specialized, Djampou said they are of great
importance. “I personally have seen how giving people access
to information can change their lives, I’ve seen that in Rwanda,”
she said. “I believe that providing access to information can also
prevent genocide.”
A graduate of St. John’s Master of Library Science program,
Djampou previously held positions as a librarian at the French
Cultural Center in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, as well as at the USAID
and also served as an Environmental Information Manager at the
African Development Bank, also in Abidjan. She has been with ICTR
since 2001 and said it was very important to her to return to alma
mater to speak about her experiences. “I’m a librarian because of
St. John’s so I really, really wanted to come and share what I am
doing with the St. John’s community,” she said after her lecture.
“I am very proud of the training I received here.” Dr. Jeffery
Olson, Associate Provost for Online Learning and Services and
Director of Library and Information Science at St. John’s, praised
Djampou for her work, her desire to see the need for libraries in
the country furthered beyond the need for courts and for “her
concerns for the people of Rwanda and Africa.” “Angeline is a
living example of ways in which we want our graduates to further
the University’s Vincentian mission,” he said. “Her plans exemplify
a true Vincentian spirit. I am grateful that our students had the
opportunity to see and hear her.”