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Rwanda: U.S. Steps Up Search for Genocide Fugitives
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Rwanda News Agency/Agence Rwandaise d'Information (Kigali)
13 May 2008
Posted to the web 13 May 2008
Kigali
The US government has renewed its 'Reward for Justice' program targeting individuals believed to have taken leading roles in the mass slaughter in Rwanda that left well over a million people dead, it was announced on Monday.
This campaign aims to secure the arrest of 13 individuals indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), who remain at-large for perpetrating, financing and providing supporting for the 1994 genocide and crimes against humanity.
Among the individuals sought include former government ministers indicted for adopting and directing a policy of genocide; former senior military and local officials accused of directing and facilitating massacres; and Félicien Kabuga, who is accused of financing and providing logistical support to Interahamwe militias.
According to US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi E. Frazer and Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues Clint Williamson, the continued impunity of these individuals and their presence in the region presents a threat to regional stability and reconciliation.
Top on the search list is alleged Genocide financier Billionaire Félicien Kabuga who the UN court believes could be hiding in the region - more particularly Kenya. Last week, Kenyan authorities said his assets in that country - managed by his daughter - would be frozen.
The rewards of up to $5 million (Rwf 2.7 billion) are available to individuals providing information that leads to arrests of the fugitives who have now moved down from 16 to 13. Three have been rounded up already.
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Last month, the campaign organization African Rights called on the US government to work towards investigating one Oswald Rurangwa - who has actually changed his name Oswald Rukemuye. African Rights claims that Mr. Rukemuye and several others living in the US state of Ohio have blood on their hands.
The US, is also home to outspoken critic of government Prof Leopold Munyakazi - a scholar and assistant professor of French at Montclair State University in New Jersey. He has been on the political trail denouncing the authorities in Kigali. Prof. Munyakazi is also on record as saying what transpired in Rwanda was not Genocide but civil war.
US authorities nabbed and deported Genocide fugitive Isaac Kamali to France who now remains in detention awaiting judicial review.
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