"There is a time when people, decision makers, were fronting the point of financial means as one [necessary] requirement. But the view of Rwanda is that this doesn't require financial means," the Rwandan newspaper quoted the Prosecutor General, Martin Ngoga, as saying.
"It will be dangerous if ‘financial means' is used as a tool of prejudice against some members of the UN over others in this context. This is a matter of principle and not a matter of financial means," Mr Ngoga further said.
The final decision on which country will host the archives, once ICTR's mandateends, is yet to be made by the UN Security Council, the instituting organ of the tribunal.
According to reliable sources at ICTR, Tanzania, host of the 16-year old tribunal has also applied to the UN to host the ICTR archives. But the Prosecutor General stressed that Rwanda would not like to be seen as competing with the former or others.
Ngoga maintained that keeping the archives in Rwanda where the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi took place is a logical decision as the archives are part of Rwandan history.
"We made our views clear to the registrar, and to the UN - and this hasn't changed. We think that the archives, being part of our history, we are the most logical home, but it is also important to note that we wouldn't like to be seen in a situation where we are competitors," Ngoga was quoted as saying.
The UN Security Council has given the ICTR up to December 31, 2011 to finish its first instance cases.
FK/NI/ER/GF
© Hirondelle News Agency