As Rwandans and friends of Rwanda commemorate the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, for the 17th time, activists have called for the French government to move in on suspected genocide masterminds hiding in the European country.

France-based Collectif des Parties Civiles pour le Rwanda (CPCR), says this year’s commemoration is an opportunity for France to recall that no alleged génocidaire has ever been tried on their soil.

"If today is the time for contemplation and remembrance, justice must remain a priority. We will constantly ask our country to meet its commitments,” Alain Gauthier, the CPCR president said in a statement.

The statement points out that only a few suspects have been indicted, and yet many continue to live in France with impunity, and in general indifference.

Gauthier’s says that without the action and determination of CPCR, the recent arrest in France of Tito Barahira, a genocide fugitive, would not have come to light.

CPCR accuses the French authorities for dragging their feet in bringing the suspects to book, a fact they said is a major discouragement to survivors and their families.

CPCR continues to push for the establishment, in France, of a special unit to investigate crimes of genocide and crimes against humanity.

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