British High Commissioner to Rwanda, Omar Daair, has expressed regrets in the over-delayed process of bringing to books Genocide fugitives who continue to evade justice in the United Kingdom.
Daair expressed the concerns on Wednesday, December 14, while briefing international and local media on the current UK-Rwanda relations.
"On the situation with the Genocide suspects in the UK, that is an ongoing police investigation by the Metropolitan Police which is independent of government, so we as the government cant influence the process of it,” he said.
"And it is taking time, I know that it is frustrating for Rwandans because they want to see them ( fugitives) taken to justice,” he added.
The indicted genocide suspects who have found safe haven in the United Kingdom include Vincent Bajinya, Célestin Ugirashebuja, Charles Munyaneza, Emmanuel Nteziryayo and Célestin Mutabaruka.
"What I can say is that the investigations and the collaboration cooperation between the Police and the UK and the authorities in Rwanda has continued this year and has been quite extensive,”
The UK envoy also pointed out that there have been a couple of visits to Rwanda to continue to gather the evidence necessary.
"And the Police want to take time to do that, to make sure that they have the best evidence possible that if a case is raised they have the strongest case possible.”
"I do regret that it is taking a long time but I do know that it is moving behind the scenes and I hope that we will see further movement soon,” Reacted Daair, adding that, "It is really a concern for the people here (in Rwanda), and we understand that.”
The envoy’s remarks comes a year after the UK House of Lords announced the formation of a parliamentary group that was expected to lobby the UK government to bring to justice the fugitives who are still roaming in the country.
There has not been an official announcement on what has been achieved so far, despite growing calls by survivors of the Genocide against the Tutsi to either put on trial or extradite the fugitives.
They have been in the country for more than two decades.