French investigators have a lot to pick from Rwanda

The first team of French jurists investigating genocide crimes committed by some Rwandan fugitives currently residing in France, have arrived in the country to carry out a series of interviews with various witnesses. The team comprising of two senior French judges will transverse the country for seven days, gathering evidence on some four key genocide suspects that are currently holed up in France.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

The first team of French jurists investigating genocide crimes committed by some Rwandan fugitives currently residing in France, have arrived in the country to carry out a series of interviews with various witnesses.

The team comprising of two senior French judges will transverse the country for seven days, gathering evidence on some four key genocide suspects that are currently holed up in France.

Basing on what they unearth from here, the investigative judges will make a decision on whether to issue arrest warrants against these fugitives.

In the past, Rwanda has issued close to 12 indictments against key masterminds of the Genocide resident in France, but none of these fugitives has, so far, been arrested and charged.

Though Paris has made some arrests in the past, all these suspects have been released, under suspicious circumstances.

With this first group of investigators, the Rwandan people and especially survivors of the Genocide can only hope that the freedom and impunity enjoyed by these fugitives will soon come to an end.

Equally important, is the fact that Rwandans can hope that this group of jurists will gain first-hand knowledge on the history of this country, see for themselves the horrendous acts perpetrated against  the Tutsi, and help in correcting the distortions created by some French officials, including some in the judiciary.

However, to show how serious these investigators are, they could probably start off by picking an example from their next door n eighbors, Germany, who have arrested two top leaders of the terrorist group, FDLR.

France, therefore, should with no hesitation arrest and charge Calixte Mbarushimana, the Secretary General of the outfit, who is also infamously known for the extensive role he played in the killing of his Tutsi UNDP colleagues and using UN resources and logistics to facilitate and ferry interahamwe on their killing spree around the country.

Ends