'War criminal' arrested
2006-04-09 19:28
Berlin - German authorities have arrested a Rwandan Hutu rebel leader suspected of war crimes in Congo and Rwanda, police said on Sunday.
Ignace Murwanashyaka was arrested on Friday in the southern city of Mannheim on immigration violations and is being held pending deportation or extradition, police spokesperson Martin Boll told The Associated Press.
Murwanashyaka is being investigated by the United Nations for suspected war crimes and human rights violations, but at the moment there is no international arrest warrant for him, Boll said.
"That is our problem," he added.
Rwandan foreign affairs minister Charles Murigande told The AP that his country had not asked for Murwanashyaka's arrest, but now that he had been arrested, Rwanda would formally ask Germany for his extradition.
"We will be requesting for his extradition to Rwanda to face justice," Murigande said.
"Murwanashyaka is leading a criminal organisation responsible for the genocide in Rwanda and other atrocities in this region."
Murwanashyaka is the commander of about 8 000 fighters of the Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda, known by its French acronym FDLR, who are based in eastern Congo.
He has reportedly being trying to persuade his troops - many of whom admit killing in Rwanda's genocide - to disarm and return to Rwanda after more than a decade living in the bush.
Murwanashyaka also is one of 16 people blacklisted by the UN security council in November for violating an arms embargo aimed at restoring peace in Congo.
The UN imposed a travel ban and froze the assets of the group.
Rwanda does have the death penalty, which would almost certainly influence Germany's decision on the upcoming extradition request.
- AP