Ibuka, the umbrella organization of Genocide survivors has called for thorough assessment of programmes reintegrating genocide convicts into society after completing their imprisonment sentences to make sure society does not retake people who still have harbor the genocide ideologies.
The call was made by Jean Pierre Dusingizemungu, the president of Ibuka during commemoration of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi at Nyanza-Kicukiro Genocide memorial where 12,000 genocide victims were given a dignified burial.
He urged for smart programmes to prepare genocide convicts before being reintegrated into society as more genocide convicts continue to complete their jail terms
This, he said, could help prevent reoccurrence of genocide ideology cases.
Figures show that in the next five years (from 2019 to 2023) more than 8,857 genocide convicts will have completed their sentences and be reintegrated into society.
About 807 genocide convicts will complete their punishment in 2019, 922 in 2020, 1,496 in 2021, 3,620 in 2022 and 2,012 in 2023.
He said that the figures are part of 27,662 genocide crimes convicts who are still in prison, 506 were convicted of genocide ideology and 71 of divisionism and ethnic discrimination.
However, he stressed that even though genocide perpetrators were sentenced under Gacaca court system, some have escaped and changed their identification and locations making it difficult to re-arrest them.
"We call on everyone to play their role in helping investigative institutions to recapture some genocide convicts who have been on the run as they escape justice and punishment. They have changed their names and residential areas to masquerade as innocent people .There is need of special operation to arrest them and take them to court,” he said.
The recent report on the activities by National Commission for the Fight against Genocide (CNLG) released in December 2018 showed that out of 358 cases of people judged by Gacaca courts who had escaped from sentences, 256 were recaptured and returned to prisons.
However between December and today more than 230 cases have been discovered and the cases were reported to Rwanda Investigation Bureau.
Speaker of Parliament Donathile Mukabalisa urged foreign countries to deport genocide fugitives.
National Prosecution Authority figures show that The Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and Malawi host the largest number of fugitives wanted in Rwanda for their role in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi with hosted 372, 260,47 indicted Genocide suspects respectively.
Over the last 12 years, it has sent more than 1000 Genocide indictments to 32 countries in Africa, Europe, North America, and New Zealand as Europe (France and Belgium) host the largest number of indicted suspects – 42 and 39, respectively.
"These are genocide fugitives roaming abroad and spreading genocide ideology,” she said.
editor@newtimesrwanda.com