Genocide court wants US help
2005-06-19 21:44
Arusha - The overloaded UN-backed tribunal trying key figures in the 1994 Rwandan genocide has asked for co-operation from the United States government to help it accomplish its mission.
In a meeting with secretary of state Condoleezza Rice in Washington earlier in the week, Erik Mose and Hassan Bubacar Jallow, respectively president and chief prosecutor of the tribunal "re-emphasized the need for sufficient resources to implement the ICTR's completion strategy."
They also requested US co-operation on several matters where the tribunal needs help from national governments to accomplish its mission, the independent news agency Hirondelle, which covers the court's proceedings, reported.
The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) is due by the end of 2008 to wind up all trials - excluding appeal hearings - of those suspected of key roles in the organised killing of at least 800,000 minority Tutsis and moderate Hutus, in the 100-day killing spree unleashed in April 1994.
During their US visit, the ICTR officials also held talks with senators and house of representative members as well as with Pierre-Richard Prosper, the US ambassador-at-large for war crimes issues.
Since its founding by the United Nations in 1994, the ICTR has tried 25 people including former ministers, members of the Rwandan former army and a Catholic priest for their roles in the genocide before the Hutu army and killer militias were driven out by rebels.