French activists want Genocide suspect extradited

Without awaiting the imminent decision by judges in Paris, a French rights group has mounted pressure on its government to extradite, to Rwanda, one of the masterminds of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The Collectif des Parties Civiles pour le Rwanda (CPCR), on Friday, placed a fresh legal complaint over Genocide charges on former minister of public works, Hyacinthe Nsengiyumva Rafiki. The CPCR wants him extradited to Rwanda. The suspect was arrested in Paris, last year, under an Interpol Red Notice. He is scheduled to appear in the High Court of Paris, on Wednesday, when a decision on whether or not he will be extradited will be made. According to a statement by CPCR president, Alain Gauthier, even as judges at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), recently ruled to extradite a Genocide suspect, Jean-Bosco Uwinkindi, to Rwanda for trial, “it is not at all clear whether French judges will consider this important decision as jurisprudence.” The CPCR statement says: “Up to now, no Rwandans accused of Genocide and wanted by the Rwandan justice have been extradited from France.” This is the 24th time the rights activists are publicly complaining about the presence of Genocide suspects on the country’s soil, but nothing has been done to extradite the fugitives. The group says the suspect is also founding member of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) militia, largely composed of Genocide perpetrators. The CPCR says that in early 1994, Nsengiyumva, at times, participated in several Genocide preparatory meetings, alongside Col. Theoneste Bagosora, who whose earlier life sentence was “scandalously reduced to 35 years in prison on appeal” at the ICTR. According to CPCR, the accused played an active role in the extermination of the Tutsi population, especially in his home region of Gisenyi [now Rubavu District]. He also reportedly supplied weapons to killers and formed an extremist militia allied to PSD party, Abakombozi. The CPCR adds that Nsengiyumva is responsible for the slaughter of Tutsi refugees who had fled to Nyundo church, a few kilometres from Gisenyi town. james.karuhanga@newtimes.co.rw

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French activists want Genocide suspect extradited