{Rwanda’s ambassador to UN, Valentine Rugwabiza has said that despite the remarkable achievements of United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), a lot more needs to be done by countries hosting genocide suspects who are wandering across the world and be brought to justice. }
Amb. Rugwabiza made the remarks on Monday in a discussion with the UN Security Council about the performance of Judge Theodor Meron, President of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals.
ICTR closed on 30th October 2015 after solving 93 court cases including those of masterminds behind the preparation of the 1994 genocide against Tutsi.
“Despite the achievements, allow me to air worries emerging from ongoing activities of some accomplices of the 1994 genocide against Tutsi and their supporters including experts, media and politicians in denying the genocide against Tutsi and undermining evidence to misinterpret history,” she said.
Rugwabiza requested UN to stand against people undermining, denying genocide and their supporters.
“It is sad that no one of the fugitives sought by ICTR was arrested in the past five years. We further request UN member states especially those accommodating genocide suspects to respect UN agreements, arrest them and take them to courts or send them to places where they have to be tried including Rwanda,” she said.
Rugwabiza said that Rwanda is worried of the early release of genocide convicts while others had their sentences reduced through appeals.
She also talked about the need of keeping archives of ICTR in Rwanda.
“Rwanda wants to express that most of the files kept by ICTR came from Rwanda to serve as evidence in courts. They are a property of Rwanda and have to be returned to the country,” she said as she promised that Rwanda will keep collaborating with the United Nations to bring to justice genocide accomplices.
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