Kampala — He spent over a decade on the run but his luck has run out. Genocide suspect Idelphonse Nizeyimana who was captured in Uganda last week appeared before the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) this week.

The initial appearance will be broadcast live via the ICTR satellite link. The Ugandan Police on October 6 arrested Nizeyimana after he sneaked into the country from the Democratic Republic of Congo by bus through the Bunagana border post. During his first trial at the tribunal, the ICTR Registrar's Office will read him the indictment which implicates him in different genocide crimes. In the dock, he will enter a plea of guilty or not guilty to the charges. Nizeyimana is among several other top genocide suspects that the US government offered a $5 million reward for their capture under its Reward for Justice Programme.

Many have predicted that the Arusha-based tribunal is likely to be overwhelmed by the number of cases it has to handle especially now that new arrests are being made when the tribunal's judges close shop next year. Nizeyimana's arrest comes a few months after that of Gregoire Ndahimana, another top genocide suspect who had also been hiding in DR Congo.