Hirondelle News Agency (Lausanne)
March 31, 2009
On Thursday last week, the UN Legal chief held talks with top authorities of ICTR in Arusha, Tanzania before flying out to Nairobi on Friday.
"Rwandan genocide fugitives will not be left off the hook." The UN Legal Chief Patricia O' Brien says the remaining war crimes suspects will be tried by a residual mechanism.
"These fugitives will be captured and tried by a residual mechanism," the UN Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs O' Brien stated at the Arusha-based genocide tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). She said the draft mechanism was ready and submitted to the court for additional input before it will be presented to the UN Security Council for adoption.
O'Brien insisted that she was confident that ICTR, which has to finish all cases before the end of the year, is on the right track to meet the completion strategy. "I have every confidence that all was moving as agreed," she said. She observed that the ICTR has contributed to reconciliation in Rwanda by bringing to justice key perpetrators of the slaughter of about 800,000 Rwandan Tutsis and moderate Hutu's.
O'Brien also pressured Kenya to arrest Felicien Kabuga. However, Nairobi denies that Kabuga is in Kenya.
The ICTR Prosecutor, Hassan Jallow says that intelligence reports point that Kabuga is hiding in Kenya.
O'Brien reiterated that UN member states have an obligation to assist in arresting the fugitives. In particular, she urged the DRC, like in the past, to track down the suspects.
Related Materials:
Rwanda: Mrs O'Brien - Transfer of Cases to Kigali Rested in Hands of UN Security Council, ICTR Judges
Rwandan Government Protests UK’s Refusal to Extradite Genocide Suspects
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