09.04.10 - ICTR/SUMMARY - ICTR, ARUSHA RESIDENTS COMMEMORATE RWANDA'S 16TH GENOCIDE ANNIVERSARY

Arusha, April 9, 2010 (FH)-The staff of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) and Arusha residents Wednesday joined Rwanda in the commemoration of the 16th genocide anniversary.

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After a "walk to remember genocide" organized by Rwandan Diaspora and youths in Arusha town, the ICTR Prosecutor Hassan Bubacar Jallow took the opportunity to call upon states of Great Lakes region, particularly Kenya to arrest the most wanted genocide fugitive Felicien Kabuga and the ten other top suspects.

ICTR intelligence has maintained that Kabuga is still hiding in Kenya. The other fugitives are believed to be holed up in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

"The tracking and arrest of the remaining 11 fugitives will continue to be a top priority and will be pursued more vigorously," stressed the Gambian-born Prosecutor.

Jallow's appeal was reiterated by former special representative of the Rwanda government to the ICTR, currently the Deputy Secretary General of the East African Community (EAC) Alloys Mutabingwa who also pointed to the trauma that was still haunting the Rwandans.

"We can act together to restore hope to those victims who have lost hope of living a quality life," added Mutabingwa.

Meanwhile, the closing arguments in a genocide case against Lieutenant Ildephonse Hategekimana scheduled for Thursday have been postponed to April 26.

In another development, the defence hearing of genocide case against former Secretary General of then Rwandan MRND ruling party Joseph Nzirorera resumes Monday. Nzirorera is charged jointly with the party's former president Mathieu Ngirumpatse and his former vice president Edouard Karemera. So far he has presented 25 witnesses.

The trio is charged with crimes committed by members of their party. The prosecution has indicted them for their superior responsibility as top officials of the party in power in 1994 under President Juvenal Habyarimana.

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