The new British High Commissioner to Rwanda on Wednesday, October 2, admitted that the wheels of justice in her country have turned really slowly with regard to Rwandan genocide fugitives who remain at large in the UK, for nearly two decades.

ALSO READ: UK Prime Minister says to liaise with metropolitan police on genocidaires in UK

During a press conference at the British High Commission in Kigali, Alison Thorpe, the British High Commissioner to Rwanda, said: "On the genocidaires in the UK, I acknowledge that the wheels of UK justice seem to be turning really slowly. Though I can absolutely assure you that they are definitely turning. There is an ongoing and active police investigation into the genocidaires.

"The police are completely independent in the UK, the government cannot interfere in how they run their cases, although the police are very conscious that Rwanda is looking for a speedy resort. I can't make any promises about when these people will be brought to court in the UK, but what I can say is the UK is absolutely determined to bring the perpetrators to justice. And I ask for your patience. It will happen, it's just the wheels turn slowly.”

ALSO READ: Not too late for UK to right the ship

Eighteen years have passed with a decision still pending on the extradition of at least five known Rwandan genocide suspects – Dr Vincent Bajinya, Célestin Ugirashebuja, Charles Munyaneza, Emmanuel Nteziryayo and Célestin Mutabaruka – in the UK, who the Rwandan justice system has worked resolutely to ensure they face justice.

The UK justice system has failed to either extradite them to Rwanda or put them to trial before British courts.

Like most other British officials, Thorpe said she could not give a timeline, reiterating that the UK government is separate from the judiciary and "the timeline is driven by them, not by us.”

"I also appreciate that you are seeing a number of cases in other capitals, Belgium, France, which makes a perceived lack of action in the UK even more obvious. But I can absolutely assure you there is action behind the scenes. The wheels are turning.”

While in Kigali in June 2022, former UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, pledged to liaise with his country’s Metropolitan Police on the question of five Rwandan genocide fugitives living in his country. Earlier that month, Conservative Party MP, Andrew Mitchell, a member of the British House of Commons reiterated – to no avail – the call to his government to arrest and extradite or try the men who continue to live in the UK despite indictments issued against them 16 years earlier.

In April 2022, Rwanda’s High Commissioner to the UK, Johnston Busingye, urged the UK to invest more efforts in bringing to court the Genocide fugitives. Last year, during an event to mark the 29th Commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, Busingye, once more, called for justice to be served on the alleged genocidaires who remain at large in the UK. He stressed that the UK is one of the few countries in the West not to try, expedite or deport Genocide suspects, stating that "after 29 years, every passing day is one too many.”

At the time, Busingye stated: "In the UK, five alleged genocidaires remain at large. Their names are known, the communities they live in are known, and there is sufficient evidence they need to defend themselves against. 29 years after the Genocide they haven’t stood trial. Rwandan authorities have cooperated in every way possible with their UK counterparts.

"We know that it takes time to prepare such cases, but after 29 years every passing day is one too many. All we ask is that these men see their day in court, that justice is permitted to take its course.”

According to Ibuka, the umbrella organisation of genocide survivors’ associations, justice is not served when the fugitives die before they have their day in court to answer for what they did.