UK ASSISTS GOR IN GENOCIDAIRE EXTRADITION REQUEST

C O N F I D E N T I A L KIGALI 001119

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR AF/C AND S/WCI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/20/2016
TAGS: PREL PHUM ASEC UK RW
SUBJECT: UK ASSISTS GOR IN GENOCIDAIRE EXTRADITION REQUEST

Classified By: Poloff GLearned. Reason 1.4 (b,d)


1. (C) Summary. There are two British investigators in
Rwanda working with the Rwandan Justice Ministry and
Prosecutor's Office to build extradition requests of four
suspected genocidaires living in the UK that will withstand
the scrutiny of the British legal system. Because the UK
does not have a law to prosecute crimes against humanity, the
British Home Office contracted the retired police officers to
train Rwandan prosecutors and assist with the extradition
packages of the four men. Although the process is generally
proceding very well, the GOR's lack of discretion in
publicizing the investigation has concerned the British
Embassy. If successful, the idea of sending subject matter
experts to work with Rwandans may be a practical and
cost-effective method to train Rwandan law enforcement
officials and to handle cases of genocidaires residing in the
US. A relevant point as the GOR has indicated to Embassy
that it has recently sent an extradition request for an
alleged genocidaire to the USG through Interpol. End
summary.


2. (C) The British investigators work very closely with their
Rwandan counterparts in interviewing witnesses, translation
procedures and ensuring the extradition packages will be
legally acceptable to HMG. (Note. HMG received the official
extradition requests through its Kigali Embassy. There is no
extradition treaty between the countries, however, UK law
makes a provision for a special arrangement to be considered.
End note.) According to one of the investigators, the first
month (of an estimated total of three) has gone very well.
He noted however, that the translation process is especially
time consuming and complicated as after the prosecutors take
the statement from a witness in Kinyarwanda, that statement
must be translated into English, approved by the UK
representatives, translated back into Kinyarwanda by a
different translator, read and signed by the witness, and
then translated back into a final English version.

Rwandan Press Jumps the Gun
--------------

3. (C) On 13 November, local press incorrectly reported that
the British Government arrested "five suspected Rwandan
masterminds of the 1994 Genocide who have been basking in the
UK as asylum seekers since 1998." The British Embassy was
not happy by this reporting as it was inaccurate (one of the
four- not five- were brought in for questioning not arrested)
and HMG is concerned that wide coverage of the issue will
cause the suspects to flee. The story was subsequently
partially corrected by "The New Times" the government
English-language daily.


4. (C) The most known suspect of the four is Dr. Vincent
Bajinya (a.k.a. Vincent Brown) who was working for Praxis, a
British NGO that aids refugees in the UK. According to the
British Embassy, BBC reporting on the issue caused Praxis to
immediately suspend Bajinya to allow for a full
investigation. As quoted by Rwandan Justice Minister
Tharcisse Kurugarama the three other suspects- Emmanuel
Ntezilyayo, Charlesall Munyaneza and Celestin Karugarama-
were all senior leaders of the Interahamwe during the
genocide.

Rwanda Asks the US Next
--------------

5. (C) Separately, Emboff was told by Prosecutor Emmanuel
Rukangira on 20 November that the GOR has sent an
international arrest warrant and a request to Interpol that
the USG extradite Rwandan citizen Leopold Munyakazi to
Rwanda. (Note. Munyakazi currently resides in New Jersey and
works as a professor at Montclair State University. End
note.) According to Rukangira, Munyakazi is wanted for
murder during the 1994 genocide.


6. (C) Comment. Both the Rwandans and British involved have
been very positive about the technique of sending two British
experts to Rwanda to aid in the extradition request process.
The training and daily exposure to British law enforcement
professionals will certainly be a long term benefit for the
Rwandan prosecutors regardless of the outcome of these cases
and, if successful, this should be a model for other
countries with similar extradition situations to consider.
End comment.
ARIETTI