{After 20 years of operating in Tanzania, the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) is expected to halt its operations in the country next year.}
“ICTR was established by the UN Security Council with the objectives of bringing to justice those who committed crimes, helping to ensure that such violations are halted and effectively redressed, contributing to the process of national reconciliation and to the restoration of peace in Rwanda as a response to the infamous genocide that took place in 1994,” said Danford Mpumilwa from the ICTR Information Office in an interview with The Guardian yesterday.
Mpumilwa said of the 92 suspects they had spotted, 83 were prosecuted where by 69 were found guilty but at least 9 people are yet to be summoned to the court.
He said the accused included ministers, army and police commanders, journalists, clerics, government officials and giant business individuals.
The official said the UN has spent a lot of money on the tribunal court since its 20 years of operation, “in part the money was spent to hire 1,500 workers from about 100 countries.”
“For 20 years we accommodated all our workers, including lawyers, doctors and witnesses from different countries, judges and advocates. Apart from them, we also have a prison which accommodates more than 100 people,” he added.
He said by the time they close the ICTR next year, they will have in place the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunal (MICT) which will preside over the remaining cases, including the 9 suspects who are yet to be summoned to the tribunal court and it will also oversee the prisoners jailed in its branches in both Arusha and Holland.
The official noted that the ICTR operations have passed a strong message to the world that any leader or community member who violates human rights will be held responsible in court.
Mpumilwa added that ICTR has strengthened legal rights by providing justice as it involved people from different countries.
He applauded Tanzania for its 20 years of supporting ICTR, saying the country deserve national and international respect for the role it has played.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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