KajyibwamiNotes

  “Crush your enemy totally.” It is one of the most provocative lines in The 48 Laws of Power—and one that sits uncomfortably within the language of diplomacy. Yet, stripped of its bluntness, it captures a strategic dilemma that the Great Lakes region has yet to resolve: what happens when a threat is not managed to extinction, but merely contained? There is a persistent temptation in international diplomacy to treat peace as a process detached from its most inconvenient realities. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Great Lakes region, where frameworks are signed, statements are issued, and yet the fundamental driver of insecurity remains largely unaddressed. At the center of this contradiction lies the continued presence of the FDLR in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)—a force Rwanda has, for years, identified not merely as a security concern, but as an existential threat. Rwanda’s position is neither new nor ambiguous. Before and after the 2013 Peace, Security a...

At first glance, a confrontation such as a potential war between the United States and Iran appears geographically distant from Africa. The battlefield would likely be in the Middle East, involving missiles, drones, and advanced surveillance technologies. Yet when we look at the materials that make these technologies possible, Africa—particularly the Democratic Republic of the Congo —plays a central but often overlooked role. Modern warfare is increasingly dependent on advanced electronics. Missile guidance systems, satellite communications, drones, and high-performance computing systems all require specific minerals that can withstand heat, pressure, and electrical stress. Many of these minerals are mined in Africa. The Democratic Republic of the Congo holds some of the world’s largest reserves of cobalt and coltan, as well as significant deposits of copper, gold, and other strategic resources. One of the most important minerals in this context is coltan , an ore used to produce ...

  The law defines offences and their consequences. Yet many crimes committed by young people do not always come from deliberate criminal intent. They often arise from social pressure, a desire to be accepted, and limited awareness of the legal consequences of certain actions. In many cases, young people engage in risky behaviour to appear tough or “cool,” especially in groups where peer pressure encourages them to act without thinking about the long-term effects. According to the National Public Prosecution Authority (NPPA), 78 percent of crimes prosecuted between June 2023 and June 2024 involved suspects under the age of 40. [1] While this statistic does not mean that all young people are involved in crime, it highlights how youth are frequently present in criminal cases. One factor that increasingly shapes youth behaviour today is the influence of social media. Like many young people around the world, Rwandan youth are deeply connected to platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat...

  Technological systems increasingly make decisions once reserved for human judgment. From warfare to administration, speed and automation promise efficiency, but they also shift responsibility away from human reasoning. Paul Scharre, in Army of None , explains why this shift matters. Machines can accelerate decisions, but they cannot understand them. The danger is not intelligence in machines — it is responsibility leaving humans. Machines apply rules. Humans interpret meaning. If removing human judgment creates an ethical gap in warfare, the same concern appears in law. Legal decisions carry irreversible consequences: liberty, property, reputation, sometimes life itself. A justice system therefore does more than determine facts — it legitimizes authority. People accept outcomes not only because they are correct, but because they were heard. That is why mediation exists. Mediation does not simply solve disputes; it produces acceptance. Participation transforms a decision into jus...

  In international law, jurisdiction is not a matter of moral confidence; it is a matter of legal authority. Yet recent interventions by the European Parliament in Rwanda’s domestic judicial affairs suggest a troubling assumption that political conviction can substitute for jurisdiction. Through resolutions, hearings, and public condemnations—most recently regarding the case of Victoire Ingabire—the European Parliament has increasingly positioned itself as an external reviewer of Rwanda’s courts. This posture may resonate politically in Brussels, but it is legally unsound and normatively problematic.   Rwanda is not a member of the European Union, nor is it subject to the European Parliament’s institutional competence. Its judiciary derives its authority from its Constitution, its laws, and its sovereign right to administer justice within its territory. Treating European parliamentary debate as a form of appellate oversight of Rwandan courts misunderstands both the lim...

  Two women, one child, and a decision that could change a life. Imagine standing in Solomon’s courtroom, hearing two competing claims with no witnesses, no documents, and no clear path to the truth. How would you decide?   King Solomon, renowned for wisdom, did not rely on procedure alone. Instead, he crafted a test: he suggested the child be divided in two. One woman immediately protested, saying the child should be spared, even if it meant losing her claim. In that moment, Solomon discerned the true mother and returned the child to her care.   This story, though ancient, holds a timeless lesson for today’s aspiring judges, particularly young Christian lawyers: judging is as much about wisdom, character, and discernment as it is about law.   Modern scholars, including L.H. LaRue and Lawrence C. George, have reflected on Solomon’s judgment as an early model of judicial discretion—deciding in moments of uncertainty and using insight to uncover truth. So...