The Rwandan Prosecutor General Martin Ngoga has threatened that Rwanda may have to take France to court over their failure to arrest known fugitives, accused of crimes committed during the Rwandan genocide.
The National Public Prosecution Authority says that at least 21 indicted Genocide suspects are currently in France.
“After almost two decades of giving them benefit of the doubt, it is now clear to us that French authorities are unwilling to deliver justice in Genocide cases,” said Ngoga in an interview to Rwandan newspaper New Times.
“We have to rethink the strategy, we have to look around for more actions that may include taking legal action at the international level, or invoking different international conventions that may bind France and force them to take action,”
France had close links to the regime in charge during the genocide and French courts have blocked extraditions of suspects, saying they are politically motivated.
“There’s an obligation on states to act on fugitives of serious crimes like genocide, this could be possible under domestic mechanisms or international mechanisms.”
The UN’s International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) has transferred several cases to France and Rwanda has said that trials can be conducted in French courts if they are not comfortable with extradition.
“They have had these cases for the last five years and have done nothing about them at all. These are cases they were referred there by a UN court. Assuming our indictments are political, what have they done on the indictments from ICTR?”
Ngoga also questioned the role of French political and military officials in the genocide.
“We also have to look into individual roles of French citizens who were implicated in the Genocide to bring more clarity on what could be happening behind the scenes. It is imperative to us that sooner or later these must also be made to account.”
