13.01.12 - SUMMARY - NEW REPORT ON HABYARIMANA'S PLANE DOWNING, MUGESERA DEPORTATION SUSPENDED

Arusha, January 13, 2012 (FH) - While a team of French experts released a report this week on the 1994 downing of the plane carrying former Rwanda's President Juvenal Habyarimana, a court in Canada ordered the suspension of deportation to Rwanda of Léon Mugesera.

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FRANCE

French experts report: On Tuesday, a team of two French judges and six experts - including two missiles specialists and a sound expert - presented a report reconstructing the route of the missile which shot down Juvénal Habyarimana's plane on April 6, 1994, triggering Rwandan genocide. The report by the experts led by anti-terrorists judges Marc Trévidic and Nathalie Poux, suggests that the missile may have been fired from Kanombe military barracks, where elements of Habyarimana's army were based. Rwandan ambassador to France James Kabale welcomed the report, saying the conclusion by the independent experts indicated there was no doubt that the Falcon 50 jet was shot by Hutu extremists.

CANADA

Suspension of deportation of Mugesera: On Thursday, a court in Quebec City decided that the government of Canada should suspend until January 20, the deportation of Léon Mugesera, whom Kigali accuses of inciting genocide.  Such suspension would allow the UN's Committee against Torture to examine the request by the lawyer for the Rwandan academic on the risks of him being tortured in Rwanda. Mugesera is accused by Rwanda of, notably, inciting genocide with an infamous 1992 speech calling for people to "send the Tutsis back home to Ethiopia".

ICC

Lawyers call for suspension of proceedings for Darfur rebels: The lawyers for Darfur rebel leaders Abdallah Banda and Saleh Jerbo have asked the International Criminal Court to suspend the proceedings. The lawyers claimed that they cannot investigate properly because of Sudan's refusal to cooperate with the Court, hence, their clients would not get a fair trial. Banda and Jerbo are accused of crimes against humanity for a 2007 attack on Haskanita military base, in which twelve international peacekeepers died.

Kenyan group appeals to the ICC: The International Crisis Group on Monday urged the International Criminal Court to give stern warnings to Kenyan politicians against public statements that could stoke political violence and ethnic tensions in the country. The appeal comes ahead of a decision by the Court expected January 19 on whether to confirm charges against six senior Kenyans. The six officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta are suspected of crimes against humanity for their alleged role in 2007-2008 post-electoral violence which left more than 1,000 people dead and hundreds of thousands displaced.

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