KIGALI - Taking action against Genocide fugitives in Europe is slow and taking longer than expected.

United Kingdom’s High Commissioner to Rwanda, Nicholas Cannon, said this on Tuesday during celebrations to mark Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday at his residence in Kigali.

"Action against Genocide fugitives in Europe, is taking longer than we hoped at first, but we are seeing an increasing determination on the part of the international community to deal with those cases,” he said.

He added that, soon they will reach a breakthrough that will enable the fugitives to be extradited to Rwanda to face trial.

Cannon said that the relationship between UK and Rwanda continues to strengthen and deepen.

"Our development assistance to Rwanda this financial year is expected to amount to  60m, two thirds of this in direct support to the Rwandan budget,” he noted.

"We have to focus our development efforts on places where we see visible, rapid results and Rwanda is one of our foremost development partners in this regard”.
He stressed that some of Rwanda’s successes have acted as a model to other countries in the region.

During the function, Affairs Minister Louise Mushikiwabo assured the UK government and other development partners that there will be no regrets for taking that option of channelling some assistance through direct budget support.

"As we celebrate the birthday of Her Majesty the Queen, I would like to seize the opportunity to express the appreciation of the good relationship between both countries,” she stressed.

Mushikiwabo acknowledged that UK was among the first countries to recognise that the government of Rwanda can effectively manage financial and technical assistance extended to it.

The queen’s birthday is celebrated twice a year - privately on April 21, her actual birthday, and again with an official national celebration in June.

Her Majesty is eight-four years old this year and has reigned for fifty-eight years.

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