ICTR stuck with 13 acquitted Rwandan genocide suspects

A section of a street in Kigali city shows some of the huge developments made in the country in post-genocide era.PHOTO | FILE
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He said that the Kenya government had been supportive, adding that in 1996, 16 suspects were arrested in Kenya with the support of the government.
Kigali, Friday. The International criminal tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) is stuck with 13 people it acquitted as no country was willing to accept them. The spokesman for the tribunal, Mr Bocar Sy, told journalists in Nairobi Thursday that it had become hard for the tribunal to sustain 13, given that it would be winding up its activities next year.
“In spite of protracted negotiations with some members states as well as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), ICTR has not been able to get any countries willing to accept the acquitted persons,” said Mr Sy.
He said those acquitted include Andre Ntagerura (former Transport minister), Jerome Bicamumpaka (former Foreign minister), Justin Mugenzi (former Commerce minister), Casimir Bizimungu (former Health minister), Prospers Mugiraneza (former Civil Service minister), former military officers and businessmen.“The acquitted persons have declined to return to Rwanda for fear and therefore we cannot take them there by force despite the Rwanda Government being ready to receive them,” said Mr Sy.He disclosed that the search for nine more fugitives that include Mr Felicen Kabuga, was still on, adding that they would be tried once arrested.Mr Sy said the trials of Mr Kabuga, Mr Augustin Bizimana and Mr Protais Mpiranya, would be handled by United Nations Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT) in Arusha, while the remaining six fugitives would be tried in Rwanda once the tribunal closed shop.
He said that the Kenya government had been supportive, adding that in 1996, 16 suspects were arrested in Kenya with the support of the government.
“We cannot confirm if Mr Kabuga is still in Kenya, but we have been working together with the Kenya Government to ensure that we arrest all suspects wherever they are, including Mr Kabuga,” said the spokesman.
He said that the victims had been ignored by the international community, adding that it was only Finland that had come forward to offer them support.
Last month, the tribunal completed the trial of 93 people who had been indicted.
ICTR was established by the UN Security Council in 1994 as a response to the genocide that took place in Rwanda in 1994. (NMG)