Authorities in Rwanda say they have written to France requesting for extradition of Genocide suspect Maj. Gen. Aloys Ntiwiragabo who is said to be hiding in suburbs of Orleans in the North of France.
“We have issued an international arrest warrant against Aloys Ntiwiragabo, the genocide suspect. We have investigated his case and we are working with the French unit in charge of combating war crimes and crimes against humanity,” prosecutor-general Aimable Havugiyaremye told a press conference on Tuesday
Gen Ntiwiragabo 71, belonged to the most extremist circles and commanded the gendarmes of Kigali until 1993. He was part of the inner circle of power nicknamed “Akazu” which masterminded 1994 Genocide.
His location and identity was revealed last month by investigative French media house Media part before those investigations on his where about had been dropped after investigators.
Since then the France has opened a probe into his alleged crimes against humanity.
The development comes few months after another genocide mastermind and fancier, Felicien Kabuga, was arrested France.
Kabuga, who evaded for 25 years, is accused asked for a trial in France, citing frail health and claiming the UN court in Africa would be biased against him, and possibly hand him over to Rwandan authorities.
However, the French court refused his request and ordered he should be tried in Arusha Tanzania
Serge Brammertz, the chief prosecutor for the international tribunal handling Rwanda’s genocide cases told media in Kigali that Kabuga would be transferred to Arusha for trial in early September or December.
Brammmertz arrived in Rwanda Tuesday with a team of prosecutors and investigators to investigate and gather evidence on Kabuga and other genocide suspects at large.
On April 6, 1994, the then presidents of Rwanda, Juvénal Habyarimana, and Burundi, Cyprien Ntaryamira, both Hutus, were killed when the plane in which they were traveling was shot down, triggering the genocide, one of the worst ethnic massacres in the world.
