The Government has welcomed the arrest on Thursday of Genocide suspect Jean-Baptiste Mugimba by the Dutch authorities. He faces possible extradition to Rwanda. Mugimba, who had evaded justice for 20 years, was arrested in the Dutch municipality Leusden on the request of Kigali. He is suspected of having played a major role in the planning and execution of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Dutch prosecutors say they preferred to have the suspect sent to Rwanda for trial because the evidence is there and the participants are well versed in the language, culture and the background to the events. In November, 2012, Rwanda issued an indictment and international arrest warrant for Mugimba who was, during the Genocide, the Secretary General of the Coalition for the Defence of the Republic (CDR), an extremist party. The spokesman for Rwanda’s National Public Prosecution Authority, Alain Mukuralinda, said the suspect faces multiple charges related to crimes committed in Nyakabanda and Nyamirambo suburbs of Nyarugenge District in the City of Kigali. “The suspect is charged with genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide, complicity in genocide, direct and public incitement to commit genocide, murder and extermination as crimes against humanity,” said Mukuralinda. He is also suspected to have been involved in supplying weapons to militia members, erecting roadblocks and several attacks on Tutsis. “NPPA would like to thank the Kingdom of Netherlands for the continued arrest of Genocide fugitives and assures maximum cooperation during the extradition hearing in the Netherlands in order to have him extradited back to face trial in Rwanda,” Mukuralinda said in a statement. Dutch authorities indicated they intended to extradite him.
