Advocacy vital in extradition of genocide suspects

For the first time, a French court agreed to allow an extradition of a genocide suspect, Claude Muhayimana who has been living in France, to Rwanda.

Sunday, April 01, 2012

For the first time, a French court agreed to allow an extradition of a genocide suspect, Claude Muhayimana who has been living in France, to Rwanda. Recently, Canada deported Leon Mugesera who is now answering charges for his role in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The move by the French court is a step in the right direction considering that there are a number of Genocide suspects holed up in France and other countries, despite continuous calls to bring them to justice.At the same time, a court in New Hampshire in the United States will retry the case of genocide suspect Beatrice Munyenyezi who is accused of immigration fraud, having lied about her role in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.While these cases offer a glimmer of hope, there is still a lot more that needs to get done, especially on the part of the international community. Countries harbouring suspects must make sure that they are brought to justice and their cities should not serve as safe havens.The pursuit for justice will continue and so will the advocacy to ensure that the culture of impunity is brought to an end.