UK pressures Zimbabwe over Genocide fugitives

The United Kingdom has asked Zimbabwe and other countries accused of harbouring fugitives of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide against the Tutsi to cooperate with the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) to ensure the suspects are arrested and brought to justice.

British Foreign Office Undersecretary, Henry Bellingham, said he expected all countries to cooperate in apprehending the fugitives.

“I encourage all countries to provide the ICTR with full co-operation as it seeks to bring to justice the remaining fugitives,” Bellingham said in a statement.

His statement followed the transfer to the United Nations Detention Facility in Arusha, Tanzania, of a Genocide suspect, Bernard Munyagishari, who was arrested in the DRC a few weeks ago.

Over the years, Zimbabwe has been accused by the ICTR of harbouring Protais Mpiranya, the former commander of the Presidential Guard and one of the most wanted Genocide masterminds.

Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have also had a finger pointed at them for harbouring suspects of the Genocide.

Kenya particularly has been accused of sheltering Felicien Kabuga, the most wanted man, but it denies knowledge of his presence while DRC is believed to be harbouring Augustin Bizimana, former defence minister.

Last week, the Prosecutor at the tribunal, Hassan Boubacar Jallow, complained to the UN Security Council that they were encountering difficulties in tracking Mpiranya.

Mpiranya is accused of Crimes against Humanity, War Crimes and Conspiracy to Commit Genocide, Genocide or alternatively, Complicity in Genocide.

He is also accused of distributing weapons to the militia and to certain members of the civilian population with the intent to exterminate the Tutsi population.

Mpiranya is also accused of taking into custody 10 Belgian peacekeepers from a UN peacekeeping mission who had been guarding the Rwandan Prime Minister’s house and killing them.

In an interview with The New Times, Prosecutor General Martin Ngoga, said that while the government was not aware of the communication between the UK and Zimbabwe, it is becoming increasingly clear that Zimbabwe is harbouring Mpiranya.

“I am not privy to the communication between the UK and Zimbabwe but I would not surprised because it is getting increasingly believable that Mpiranya is in Zimbabwe,”

“Zimbabwe must cooperate to get him apprehended and brought to Justice,” the Prosecutor General said.

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