The United States government yesterday welcomed the life sentence handed to Rwandan former Minister of Family Promotion, Pauline Nyiramasuhuko, and her son, Arsene Shalom Ntahobali, for Genocide and rape.

The two and four other co-accused have, for the last 10 years, been on trial at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) for their role in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in the then Butare Prefecture.

A statement by the spokesperson of the US State Department, Victoria Nuland, said the ruling was "an important step in providing justice and accountability for the Rwandan people and the international community”.

"This conviction is a significant milestone because it demonstrates that rape is a crime of violence and it can be used as a tool of war by both men and women,” reads the statement.

"Nyiramasuhuko was convicted for her role in aiding and abetting rapes and for her responsibility as a superior who ordered rapes committed by members of the Interahamwe militia”.

The ICTR maintains that Nyiramasuko not only ordered the rapes of Tutsi women, but she also encouraged her son, a militia leader who was in his 20s at that time, to participate in the rapes.

Nuland urged all nations to join in the hunt for major key players in the Genocide the claimed the lives of over a million people in a span of three months.

"There are still nine ICTR fugitives at-large and the United States urges all countries to redouble their cooperation with the ICTR so that these fugitives can be expeditiously arrested and brought to justice,” she said.

The former Bourgemestre (Mayor) of Muganza, Élie Ndayambaje, was also sentenced to life in Prison.

Former Borgumestre of Ngoma, Joseph Kanyabashi, Lt. Colonel Alphonse Nteziryayo and former Prefet (Governor), Sylvain Nsabimana were handed 35, 30 and 25 years respectively.

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