Rwanda-Burundi to sign extradition treaty

KIGALI - Rwanda is set to sign an extradition treaty with Burundi, in a move that could pave way for the arrest of suspects at large who are linked to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. This was one of the resolutions made in the just concluded two-day bilateral talks between Rwanda and Burundi. Under the deal, Rwanda will soon be able to seek the extradition from Burundi of any Genocide suspects who are hiding there. The officials recommended that a draft be prepared and signed as soon as possible. Last year, The National Public Prosecution Authority (NPPA) said they had compiled a list of over 6,000 Burundians suspected of participating in the Genocide. They said negotiations were underway to have them brought to book either in Burundi, where most of them have since returned, or in Rwanda. The Joint Permanent Commission on Cooperation (JPC) session also discussed a wide range of bilateral concerns including; diplomatic cooperation, justice and correctional services, movement of persons, social security, agriculture, economy and finance, infrastructure, security, health and education. The Rwandan delegation was led Foreign Affairs Minister, Rosemary Museminali, while her counterpart, Augustin Nsanze, led the Burundian delegation. The meeting also reaffirmed the need for the two countries to cooperate in other areas, such as; trade and investment, finance, tourism, health, gender, environment, science and technology. The JPC urged both countries to effectively implement the resolutions and recommendations agreed upon in this session and to regularly monitor the implementation process. Ends