Genocide twist surprises Rwanda

2007-11-25 15:52

Kigali - The Rwandan government is astonished by a decision of the international court trying crimes arising from the genocide in the country to let France deal with two suspects, Rwanda's justice minister says.

The ruling from the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda means it is now up to Paris to put on trial Wenceslas Munyeshyaka, a 49-year-old Catholic priest, and Laurent Bucyibaruta, 62, a former government official, both living in exile in France.

The two men are free on bail, but are under French judicial investigation on charges relating to the genocide.

Rwandan Justice Minister Tharcisse Karugarama said: "We knew that the ICTR had asked France to hand over the two accused. Now the opposite has happened - we are astonished."

'Must have confidence'

Karugarama said that Kigali would be seeking an explanation from the ICTR, whose decision to hand over the cases is part of a policy linked to next year's deadline for the court to finish its work.

"One must have confidence in the judicial apparatus everywhere but it must be recognised that France has not yet shown its determination to try cases of genocide," he said.

Rwandan authorities have alleged that Paris bore a responsibility for the genocide and thus has no moral right to try people accused by the ICTR.

A special Rwandan commission recently handed over a 500-page report on France's alleged role in the 1994 slaughter of 800 000 minority Tutsis by the Hutu majority.

The current, Tutsi-led government in Kigali accuses Paris of having armed and trained the authors of the massacre, which France denies.

- AFP