One of Rwanda’s genocide fugitive Fulgence Kayishema who is reportedly been living in the South Africa country for years is still on the wanted list of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism), which is asking authorities in Pretoria to cooperate in his arrest, a judicial source confirmed Tuesday.
The Chief Prosecutor of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism), Serge Brammertz confirmed that that Kayishema was located in South Africa but he remains at large because of Pretoria’s failure to provide effective cooperation over the last two and a half years.
Speaking before the UN security council, Mr Brammertz said said that South Africa refused to arrest Kayishema based on claims that he had refugee status adding that it had been later verified that the suspect had no refugee file.
“Why didn’t South African authorities take obvious measures after being informed that an internationally wanted fugitive indicted for genocide was present in their country? It remains most important and South Africa should empower its operational services to work directly with the Office of the Prosecutor on a day-to-day basis,” he said.
In 2012, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), which was replaced by the mechanism, handed over Kayishema’s file to the Rwandan Prosecutor General’s Office.
According to the ICTR indictment, Kayishema is accused of four counts of Genocide, extermination as a crime against humanity, conspiracy in Genocide and conspiracy in committing Genocide.
The fugitive was the police inspector of the Kivumu commune, in the former Kibuye Prefecture (West), during the massacre of thousands of Tutsis and Hutu moderates in the tiny East African nation.
CU/abj/APA