Interpol's 19th African Regional Conference ended on Friday with a call for all National Central Bureaus (NCBs) to provide whatever assistance necessary to arrest the remaining ICTR fugitives.
Charged with trying persons allegedly responsible for the genocide committed in Rwanda in 1994, the ICTR has a list of 18 accused that remain at large.
A report submitted to delegates by the Registrar and Prosecutor of the ICTR underlined the importance of apprehending the 18 individuals still wanted before the scheduled closure of the tribunal in December 2008.
On this list of fugitives figures notably businessman Félicien Kabuga, suspected of having been the "financier of the genocide".
Kabuga is a relative by marriage of former Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana whose death, on 6 April 1994, during an attack on his plane, sparked the genocide of Tutsis which resulted in the death of approximately a million persons, according to statistics of the Rwandan government.
Accused still at large would be freely moving around in several countries, sometimes under false names, particularly in Africa.
"It is our duty as police officers to do everything within our power to identify and apprehend those fugitives who are wanted in connection with such serious crimes" said Interpol President Jackie Selebi.
"I urge all of our member countries, not only those in the African region, to work together to bring these people to justice", he added.
Officially closing the conference, the President of Zanzibar Amani Abeid Karume stated that gatherings like this one "create avenues through which member states can formulate strategies on how to identify and dismantle criminal networks and their anti-social activities."
Recently, Interpol assisted in coordinating the arrest of Rwandan genocide fugitive Isaac Kamali in France.
AT/MM
© Hirondelle News Agency
