Rwanda condemns the prorogation of the ICTR’s mandate

By PANA-Kigali
December 18, 2009

[The Rwandan authorities in Kigali are afraid of the decision of the UN Security Council to extend the mandate of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) until 2012 because this new prorogation of the ICTR’s mandate surely causes Kagame to tremble along with all of his thugs that are associated with the RPF, a terrorist and criminal organization. However, I can assure you that Kigali has a heavy responsibility to alleviate the situation in no time.

Bellow is my friendly advice to Mr. Paul Kagame:


- Open up the democratic process to all Rwandans.
- Accept to freely respond on allegations about Habyarimana and Ntaryamira’s death.
- Accept inter-rwandan dialogue with the opposition both inside Rwanda and abroad.
- Accept negotiations with the armed group FDLR.
- Dissolve all ethnic-based organizations according to your authority and the Rwandan Constitution.
- Let justice work freely without any pressure from your party, the RPF.
- Unconditionally, conceal all decisions taken by the infamous Gacaca courts.
- Release any person imprisoned for over 12 months without any prosecution file.
- Be courageous enough and ask the UN Security Council to establish an impartial commission of inquiry which might shed light on the events that plunged Rwandans, Burundians and Congolese into endless mourning since October 1, 1990.
- Stop all your acts of destabilization of the African Great Lakes region.
-Do you know that your current advisers are straight forwardly bringing you into the alligator’s canines?
-Save Rwandans from upcoming disasters by literally applying my free advices since your real advisors might not dare to give you such advices.

Rwandans are desperately hungry for freedom, truth, democracy, justice, peace and reconciliation ==YS/DHR].

Rwanda condemns the prorogation of the ICTR’s mandate
By  PANA-Kigali
December 18, 2009

[Translated from the original French version by Mamadou Kouyate. Only the French version shall prevail].

This Thursday, the Rwandan Minister of Justice, Tharcisse Karugarama, condemned on the airwaves of Radio Rwanda, the decision of the UN Security Council to extend the mandate of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) until 2012.

"The Rwandan government strongly condemns the resolution (by the UN Security Council)," said Rwandan Minister of Justice, before expressing the wish that the Rwandan government would love to see the ICTR close its doors according to its current mandate which is set to expire by December 2010.

Mr. Karugarama has also estimated that the outcome of the UN tribunal based in Arusha, northern Tanzania, "can never be compared to the massive budget which is alloted annually to better accomplish its mission. "

"This decision (of the UN Security Council) is regrettable in the eyes of the Rwandan people," said Karugarama, condemning in particular the recent verdict delivered by the ICTR which acquitted two former senior Rwandan officials suspected of genocide.

Among the two personalities acquitted by the UN court is Mr. "Z", nickname of Protais Zigiranyirazo, brother of former Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana killed in the attack against his plane on April 6, 1994.

The acquittal by the ICTR of another Hutu Catholic priest, Father Hormisdas Nsengimana, who was also prosecuted by the UN court for his alleged role in the Rwandan genocide, is another case of disagreement between the Kigali regime and the ICTR.

In the aftermath of the two acquittals handed down by the ICTR, which have been strongly criticized on Thursday by the Rwandan government, one of the main organizations of genocide survivors, "Ibuka" (Remember) has announced it is ending all cooperation with the UN jurisdiction.

In total, four Rwandan personalities have been acquitted to date by the ICTR (1) and expect the host country. These are namely: the former Transport Minister Andre Ntagerura, General Gratien Kabiligi, Protais Zigiranyirazo, brother of the former President Juvénal Habyarimana and the Catholic Priest Hormisdas Nsengimana.

France, Belgium and Switzerland are the only countries that have so far agreed to receive this other group of four persons acquitted by the ICTR, said a judicial source.

Note (1):
The actual number of people that have been acquitted by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) up to date is eight instead of four.

Of these eight Rwandans, four - including a former minister cleared six years ago - have made it no further than the court's corridors.

France took in two, Switzerland and Belgium one each, but it took an arduous procedural struggle in Belgium.

Indeed, Belgium's highest judicial authority granted asylum in 2007 to Emmanuel Bagambiki, a former official from southwestern Rwanda, a year after turning down a first request from the court.

The other four acquitted people are still under the care of the tribunal and they haven't found a country willing to welcome them.

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