Other fugitives among the nine still on the run, include Augustin Bizimana, former Minister of Defence and Major Protais Mpiranya, who was Commander of the Presidential Guard. The council reaffirmed the necessity of trying the persons indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR).
"The Security Council reiterates its call to all states, especially the States from the Great Lakes Region, to intensify cooperation with and render all necessary assistance to the Tribunal and, in particular, (..) increase their efforts to bring Kabuga, Bizimana, Mpiranya and other indictees to justice," the resolution says.
In her presentation of a six-month report on ICTR completion strategy to the Security Council on June 6, 2011, President Khalida Rachid Khan pointed out that the "Tribunal relied on cooperation from member states for the tracking, arrest and transfer of fugitives, nine of which remained at large."
According to her, she looked forward to the early conclusion of the Kenya-Tribunal Joint Task Force's work on apprehension and transfer of the most wanted fugitive Kabuga.
The ICTR Prosecutor Hassan Bubacar Jallow, at the same briefing session, reported on fruitful discussions with Council of Ministers of International Conference of Great Lakes on cooperation with tracking fugitives, "who had been source of insecurity and instability in the region besides evading justice for so long."
According to sources at ICTR, Kabuga is said to be carrying out his commercial activities in Kenya, while Mpiranya is allegedly being protected by senior officials in Zimbabwe, whereas Bizimana may be hiding in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
FK/NI/GF
© Hirondelle News Agency