The Republic of Rwanda is one of the smallest countries on the African mainland. The country is located in the African Great Lakes, with a temperate and subtropical climate year round. The primary language spoken is Kinyarwanda, and Christianity is the primary religion. English and French are also secondary languages spoken in the country. The current President is  Paul Kagame, who took office in 2000. Although lower than neighboring countries, Rwanda does have a number of human rights concerns lingering in the country including intimidation and restrictions on free speech.

Rwanda was colonized in 1884 by Germany, as part of German East Africa. This was followed by Belgian rule, after their invasion during  World War I. A revolt by the Hutu people resulted in an independent Hutu-dominated state in 1962. The 1994 genocide led to the killing of over 500,000 Tutsi and moderate Hutu. The Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) ended the genocide with a military victory. In recent years, tourism has helped grow the economy, as have cash crops including coffee and tea.

The President of Rwanda serves as head of state and is elected every seven years by popular vote. The President appoints a Prime minister and cabinet members. The  Parliament consists of two chambers, with an 80-member lower chamber, Rwanda has reserved 24 of the seats for women leaders, with the remaining 53 seats being voted in by universal suffrage.

Rwandan Legal System

The legal system in Rwanda is greatly influenced by customary law in German and Belgian civil law systems. Although the President is involved in appointing judges, the judiciary branch is independent of the other branches of government. Under the Constitution, there are specialized and ordinary courts in Rwanda. The  Supreme Court, the High Court, and regional courts, are the ordinary courts in the country. A system of commercial courts and military courts are considered specialized court systems.

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