RECENT media reports indicating that notorious Genocide fugitive, Protais Mpiranya, is hiding in Zimbabwe should not be taken lightly, especially by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR).

The UN tribunal has an outstanding indictment and arrest warrant against Mpiranya, a former commandant of the elite presidential guard during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The United States Government has put out a $5m reward for his arrest.

He is not only known for his role in masterminding the Genocide that left over one million Tutsi dead, he is also responsible for a series of atrocities mainly committed in the Democratic Republic of Congo and other countries, where he worked with the Genocidal forces.

Given the time this man, who is ranked Number Three on the list of most wanted fugitives, has remained evasive from the long arm of the law, the tribunal should leave no stone unturned and it should use the clout of the UN to facilitate the apprehension.

This must, however, not stop with Mpiranya, as it has been revealed that many other fugitives, mostly wanted by the Rwandan judiciary are said to be either established in Zimbabwe while others have been freely moving in and out of that country.

However, these media reports should always be verified, as some may not necessarily be accurate, as, indeed, the fugitives in Zimbabwe have sought to mislead public opinion by planting stories alleging that the government of Rwanda has dispatched secret agents to eliminate them.

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