Kavaruganda elected new president of Great Lakes Bars’ Association (ABGL)

Elias Hakizimana Oct 9, 2021Oct 9, 2021 0 Comments

By Elias Hakizimana.

Julien-Gustave Kavaruganda, the current president of Rwanda Bar Association (RBA) has been nominated to lead the Great Lakes Lawyers’ Association or ‘Association de Barreau de Grand Lacs’ (ABGL) in the next two-year mandate.

The association that gathers together over 3,000 lawyers from Bukavu in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Bujumbura and Rwanda has the bigger vision to boost partnership to tackle existing legal and judicial issues in the Great Lakes Region where they easily manage to help their clients who need justice from either member country.

The first and outgoing presidency of this association was established in 2018 and was presided by Abel Ntumba, the current president of the South-Kivu Bar (Ordre National des Avocats-Burreau du Sud-Kivu) in DRC. The initiative to establish ABGL was discussed in Kigali and the final agreement was signed in Goma-DRC.

Speaking to the press on Saturday, October 9, 2021 in Kigali amid the handover ceremony that respected Covid-19 prevention guidelines, the new elected president of the association Julien-Gustave Kavaruganda of Rwanda said that they expect fruitful results from this kind of partnership.

New President of the Great Lakes Bars’ Association or ‘Association de Barreau de Grand Lacs’ (ABGL) Julien-Gustave Kavaruganda speaking during the event in Kigali on October 9, 2021/ Courtesy photo.

“We are looking ahead to complement and help each other to deliver effective legal and judicial services to the citizens by tackling existing problems, it will also be easy for the lawyers from the member countries to cross the borders to help their clients who are in need of justice. We will manage to learn from each other through different conferences and workshops, like for example laws from respective countries and how either country’s court has managed to continue working during the Covid-19 pandemic situation.” Kavaruganda said.

“There will be a reciprocal manner to work in either country where the lawyer will inform and ask for a permission from his/her local bar association to go to assist a client in another country, these are our key principles and any countries that may wish to join the association in the future are welcome.” He added.

DRC is the new francophone member that joins the East African Law Society, which is an added value to the bars’ associations in the great lakes region in terms of strong efforts in collaborating with Anglophone countries.

**Julien-Gustave Kavaruganda holding the penang lawyer as he takes over the responsibilities from his colleague Abel Ntumba, the outgoing president of ABGL.**

Rwanda as the country that adapts to both French and English is a current member of the International Bar Association, Common Wealth Lawyers’ Association, Lawyer Referral Service (CIB) and ABGL.

Main activities during the next two year mandate

Kavaruganda noted that they will boost collaboration through capacity building workshops. He said that they will increase and share skills in laws and will set up a common discipline model to deliver quick and efficient justice to the citizens of member countries.

Cross border rights

“We currently have an agreement with UNDP to ensure that cross border laws are known and respected to give justice to not only lawyers but also to traders.” Kavaruganda said.

The outgoing president of ABGL, Abel Ntumba, current president of the South-Kivu Bar (Ordre National des Avocats-Burreau du Sud-Kivu) said that there is a significant job done during his mandate, urging the new president to continue and achieve more.

“I have been the first president of this association and we managed to hold conferences and workshops in Goma and in Kigali-Rwanda, unfortunately, Covid-19 pandemic stopped our activities but we have built something, I leave the responsibilities to Julien Kavaruganda and I wish him to do more.” Ntumba said.

Jean de Dieu Muhuzenge, the president of Bujumbura Bar Association said that they expect to continue working together as countries who share colonial background to ensure efficient legal service delivery.

“Burundian lawyers expect to come in Rwanda to play a significant role in legal service delivery.” He said. We expect an improvement in commerce development, security and peace by setting efficient laws that help citizens.” He said.