UN tribunal chief wants conclusion of cases

Arusha. Newly appointed president of the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals wants its residual judicial proceedings concluded as efficiently as possible.

“Our residual judicial proceedings should be concluded while maintaining the highest standards of due processm,” said Judge Carmel Agius.

The long serving and respected judge from Malta last week assumed office as President of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism).

The Arusha-based judicial organ of the UN has taken over the activities of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) which closed shop in 2015.

He said he would enhance the Mechanism’s unique mandate through unified work at both the Arusha and the Hague branches of the Tribunal.

One of the tasks ahead of the Mechanism is to continue tracking down the remaining fugitives of the Rwanda genocide of 1994 in which nearly a million people were hacked to death.

Among the eight ‘most wanted’ fugitives still at large is Felicien Kabuga, a former Rwanda businessman with a $5 million tag placed on his head.

The UN Mechanism recently confirmed reports of ‘crucial leads’ from intelligence sources that could see the arrest of Kabuga and seven other fugitives.

The others include Pheneas Munyarugarama, Fulgence Kayishema, Charles Sikuwabo, Ladislaus Ntaganzwa, Alloyes Ndimbati and one Ryandikayo.

Nearly one million people were brutally killed during genocide from April 6th, 1994 triggered by the killing of former Rwanda President Juvenal Habyarimana.

By the time it closed business in December 2015,ICTR had convicted 61 fugitives and acquitted 14. Those still at large believed to be hiding within the region.