Hundreds protest against Barayagwiza release

Hundreds of people in Kigali on Monday took part in a protest march against the release of genocide suspect Jean-Bosco Barayagwiza by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), Rwandan radio reported. The march, which was peaceful, was organised by the genocide survivors’ organisation, Ibuka. Officials of Ibuka addressed a rally outside the ICTR office in Kigali.

The Rwandan government temporarily suspended cooperation with the ICTR as a result of its decision to free Barayagwiza. The foreign ministry’s secretary-general Seth Kamanzi told the Hirondelle news agency last week the government’s decision was taken on legal grounds, not political. “We are challenging the legal basis on which the [ICTR] decision was made,” he said. “We are not going to cooperate with the ICTR as long as the question of this dubious decision...is not clarified.” He said this also applied to cooperation on security for ICTR staff in Rwanda. The chief prosecutor, Gerald Gahima, has issued an international arrest warrant for Barayagwiza - a former foreign ministry official and founder of the extremist RTLM radio. Rwanda says the suspension will remain in force “until acceptable arrangements are put in place to ensure the injustice occasioned by the present decision does not recur”.