At an event to mark the 29th Commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, on Wednesday, April 12, Rwanda's High Commissioner to the UK, Johnston Busingye, once more delivered a strong message calling for justice to be served on the alleged genocidaires who remain at large in the UK.
The High Commissioner highlighted that the UK is one of the few countries in the West not to try, expedite or deport Genocide suspects, stating that "after 29 years, every passing day is one too many."
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The key suspects in the UK include Dr Vincent Bajinya, who is accused of coordinating killings in Kigali's Nyarugenge District where he set up and led a roadblock to kill the Tutsi.
Others are Célestin Ugirashebuja, Charles Munyaneza, Emmanuel Nteziryayo and Pierre Célestin Mutabaruka who headed the agricultural and livestock project, Crête Zaïre Nil - CZN. Mutabaruka, a pastor, is accused of leading an attack on a church in April 1994 in which 20,000 Tutsi were killed.
Munyaneza and Nteziryayo are former mayors of former Mudasomwa and Kinyamakara districts in present-day Southern Province. They are accused of orchestrating mass killings in the southern parts of the country that left hundreds of thousands dead.
Among others, when hundreds of Tutsi were killed at Kigoma Commune in the former Gitarama Prefecture, currently Ruhango District, on April 26, 1994, some of the perpetrators included the former Bourgmestre - Ugirashebuja.
All we ask is that these men see their day in court
On Wednesday, more than 400 members of the Rwandan community from across the UK, London's diplomatic corps, the UK Government and Commonwealth officials, including Secretary General Patricia Scotland, gathered in Marylebone, central London to commemorate the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
Busingye stated: "In the UK, five alleged genocidaires remain at large. Their names are known, the communities they live in are known, and there is sufficient evidence they need to defend themselves against. 29 years after the Genocide they haven't stood trial. Rwandan authorities have cooperated in every way possible with their UK counterparts.
"We know that it takes time to prepare such cases, but after 29 years every passing day is one too many. All we ask is that these men see their day in court, that justice is permitted to take its course."
The High Commissioner called for UK institutions to ensure there are no delays to the ongoing investigations, lest justice be denied.
An All-Party-Parliamentary-Group on War Crimes was established in 2021 to lobby the UK Government to ensure individuals accused of war crimes face justice, including Genocide suspects from Rwanda. The group is expected to resume its activities in the coming months.
In June 2022, Conservative Party MP, Andrew Mitchell, a member of the British House of Commons reiterated the call to his government to arrest and extradite or try the men who continue to live in the UK despite indictments issued against them more than a decade ago.
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Earlier, in April, In April, Busingye had again called on the UK government to invest more efforts in bringing to court the Genocide fugitives who are at large.
According to Ibuka, the umbrella body of Genocide survivors' organisations, justice is not served when fugitives die before they have their day in court to answer for their crimes. In April 2022, speaking at an event to mark the 28th commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi, in London, Busingye, who is also Rwanda's former Minister of Justice, said "for Genocide survivors, the delay of justice is justice denied", pointing at the five suspected genocidaires, who continue to evade justice.
Their hate will be met with our unity
On Wednesday, the High Commissioner also implored the gathered community members and dignitaries to equip themselves with the knowledge needed to identify and challenge Genocide ideology, hate speech and Genocide denial wherever they occur.
"Armed with the historical clarity bestowed upon us by brave individuals such as Antoinette Mutabazi [the event's testimony giver], historians such as Dr James Smith, and allies in the cause for Never Again such as Secretary General Patricia Scotland, the deniers and the ideologues will never again be able to spread their hate. Their hate will be met with our unity."
Scotland stated that: "Rwanda is a shining example to a troubled world, proving beyond doubt that after dark times and division, justice and reconciliation can bring healing and progress."
Expert speaker James Smith, CEO of the Aegis Trust, the organization that helped to establish and operate the Kigali Genocide Memorial, spoke about the stages of Genocide and drew disturbing comparisons between the Genocide against the Tutsi and the Holocaust.
Dignitaries and officials took to Twitter to share messages of solidarity with the people of Rwanda. Among them was the UK's Minister for Africa, Andrew Mitchell MP, who, earlier, on April 7, said: "The testimonies I have heard from Rwandan friends and colleagues will stay with me forever. My thoughts are with the victims, today and always."
A moving video message of solidarity was also shared by players of Arsenal Football Club.
Commemoration events will continue across the United Kingdom over the coming weeks with community services set to take place up and down the country in Scotland, Oxford, Portsmouth and Leeds.
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Mutabazi, a genocide survivor, said: "I saw what no child should see, what no human being should see.
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"But people who were once robbed of life, will not be robbed of living today."
The CEO of Aegis Trust, among others, highlighted the stages of Genocide, that we must be able to identify, including exclusion, dehumanization, inaction and denial.
Smith added that all of these stages were imposed upon the Jews in the Holocaust and to the Tutsi in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
"To quote Mark Twain, history does not repeat itself, but it does often rhyme. I have been struck by how the events of The Holocaust and the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi rhyme."
The final similarity Smith drew was the role of rescuers and their importance.
"Rescuers during Genocide show critical thinking, they show empathy beyond their own community, they had values, values that we should learn from today."
Busingye said: "We are proud of where we are today, looking at where we have come from. Today Rwandan citizens identify as Rwandans, our tribal and ethnic labels no longer feature on our ID's and are no longer a basis for access to any public service or opportunity."
"As Rwandans, we are grateful to those who have joined us on our journey of unity and healing over the last 29 years. Your partnership and friendship have contributed immeasurably. A precious national unity and an inclusive society has emerged from the rubble, one that is now equipped to resist ethnic division and bigotry."
