The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) will close its Kigali field office on August 31 after almost 30 years of operations in the country.

The information was shared by the mechanism’s registrar Aboubacar Tambadou during a press conference in Kigali, on Thursday, February 15. Tambadou noted that the decision was informed by the fact that the Arusha branch of the mechanism which was handling cases of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi no longer has any trials to conduct.

"With the end of the case against Felicien Kabuga last year, the decision was made to close the Kigali field office,” he noted.

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Kabuga’s arrest in 2020 and the confirmation of the death of Augustin Bizimana and Protais Mpiranya – the last three men on the IRMCT’s wanted list, meant that the mechanism’s work of tracking and bringing fugitives to justice was getting into its final phase.

Continue to engage with Rwanda

In an unfortunate turn of events, Kabuga’s trial was indefinitely suspended by the court in 2023, because he was deemed unfit to stand trial.

"With no other trials anticipated at the mechanism, the decision was made to close the Kigali field office,” Tambadou said, before adding that the closure does not mean an end of engagement between the IRMCT and Rwanda.

"The mechanism will continue to engage with Rwanda in the other mandated activities under the statute of the mechanism. But mostly from our branch in Arusha. In particular, services such as the protection of witnesses will continue to be delivered,” he noted.

"Other services, of course, will have to be transferred from the mechanism to either the Rwandan government or a non-governmental entity. Those discussions and consultations have started with the Rwandan authorities for the transition and ultimate handover of some of those responsibilities from the mechanism.”