US asked to extradite Rwigema

Human rights organisations and Rwandan exiles have requested the US government to extradite former Rwandan prime minister, Pierre-Celestin Rwigema, to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). A US-based human rights group, the Organisation for Peace, Justice, and Development in Rwanda (OPJDR), formally wrote a letter to the US government requesting that Rwigema disclose those responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and crimes of aggression and genocide allegedly committed by members of his government and the army. The letter asks the US to “compel Rwigema to denounce the true criminals, or otherwise to prosecute him or extradite him to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR)”. “You can not lead a government that committed such horrendous crimes and just walk in a democratic and law abiding country, such as the US, and request political asylum,” the agency quoted OPJDR coordinator Felicien Kanyamibwa as saying.