22.01.08 - ICTR/ACQUITAL - FOUR YEARS AFTER HIS ACQUITTAL, NTAGERURA HAS YET TO GET A HOST COUNTRY

22 January 2008 By

Arusha, 22 January 2008 (FH) - The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) hopes to find early this year a host country for the acquitted former Rwandan Minister of Transport, Andre Ntagerura, who is still in Arusha, under the special protection of the United Nations tribunal.

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He was acquitted in February 2004 of charges of genocide and crimes against humanity during the 1994 genocide.

Ntagerura shares his secret residence with Andre Rwamakuba, another a former education minister, also acquitted by the UN Court of genocide charges.

"We hope to find a solution for Ntagerura soon early this year [2008]", the ICTR spokesperson Roland Amoussouga told Hirondelle News Agency.

"New contacts with some countries have been established by the Registrar [Adama Dieng] during his recent visit to New York in December. The situation of the acquitted persons was once again raised before the Security Council by the president of the tribunal [Dennis Byron] during his report to the council in December 2007 ", stressed Mr Amoussouga.

The ICTR was also obliged to find host country for the former Mubuga, Gishyita Commune Councillor Vincent Rutaganira, who finishes serving his sentence in March.

Two of the five people acquitted persons -- the former mayors Ignace Bagilishema (Mabanza) and Jean Mpambara (Rukara)--reside in France while a third, a former prefect Emmanuel Bagambiki, joined his family in Belgium last year.