Felly Kimenyi
8 November 2006
Kigali — The Minister of Justice, Tharcisse Karugarama, has appealed to Western countries to strengthen efforts aimed at apprehending various 1994 R wanda Genocide fugitives scattered in various European cities.
Speaking during a one-day conference organised by the Centre for Conflict Management, Karugarama told participants, including several diplomats, that a lot was still needed to bring the fugitives to book.
"As our country today is engaged in talks to have the death penalty removed from our legal provisions, we hope that you will take an upper hand in telling your respective countries to have those people in your capitals apprehended and brought here for trial," Karugarama told the attentive diplomats.
He stressed: "These people, whose hands are draped with blood of almost a million people are moving freely in your countries, you should help us convince your countries to get them."
Commenting on the work done by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda , the Minister said that as an individual, he is not satisfied by the work of the tribunal.
"Thirty-one cases in more than ten years is not impressive," he observed
He however, commended the Tribunal for its efforts in making the 1994 Rwandan Genocide universally recognised.
Earlier, the ICTR Chief Prosecutor, Bubacar Jallow had said that one of ICTR's greatest achievements is the recent verdict by the tribunal's appeals chamber, which took judicial notice of the Rwandan Genocide.
He said that the UN-instituted tribunal, since its establishment, has consistently lobbied UN-member states to recognise the Rwandan Genocide.
"Courtesy of our cooperation with the Rwandan government, justice has been delivered as many architects of the Genocide have been convicted, including former Prime-Minister (Jean) Kambanda, among others," Jallow said. Basing on the theme of the conference which hinges on challenging impunity, Jallow said that despite the fact that ICTR was winding up its work, they will not cease to fight impunity.
"We are ad hoc and we shall have to ensure that this culture of impunity is uprooted all over the world," he emphasised.
He said that Rwanda was top on the list of countries that are supposed to take the cases that will be transferred from the Tanzania-based tribunal.
The ICTR Deputy Registrar, Everard O'Donnell also said that ICTR is working to ensure that the remaining cases are transferred to Rwanda. Karugarama urged ICTR to try and send some of the prominent people to the Rwandan jurisdiction for trial, saying that could set a good precedence to rout the culture of impunity.
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