Kagame seeks extradition of genocide suspects
MAPUTO: Rwandan President Paul Kagame, on a two-day state visit to Mozambique, on Monday asked for the co-operation of the Mozambican authorities in extraditing Rwandans suspected of involvement in the 1994 genocide.
He received a commitment from his host, President Filipe Nyusi, that Mozambique would not allow its territory to be used for acts of destabilisation against Rwanda, but this fell short of any pledge to extradite Rwandans living in Mozambique.
According to Mozambican official estimates, there are about 3000 Rwandans, mostly refugees and asylum seekers, currently living in Mozambique.
Only 12 of these are on a list presented by the Rwandan government of individuals suspected of crimes committed during the genocide, in which nearly 800000 people, mostly from the Tutsi ethnic group, were murdered.
Speaking at a press conference after the talks between delegations headed by the two presidents, Mozambican Foreign Minister Oldemiro Baloi said “extradition has two fundamental components, political and legal, which require careful examination.
“The two countries are doing this together in order to meet the requirements which will allow extradition”.
Baloi recalled that a general co-operation agreement between the two countries was signed in 1990, before the genocide, which set up a Joint Co-operation Commission. However, this commission has never met. Nyusi and Kagame agreed to revive the joint commission and its meeting is scheduled to be held early next year in Rwanda.
Baloi said the two sides also agreed to formalise their existing political consultations, at the AU, the UN and other international bodies.
Up to now, these consultations have been informal, but the new agreement between the two countries does include this type of activity.
“The world is faced with increasingly complex challenges, and understanding them requires a very strong interaction between partner countries such as Rwanda and Mozambique”, said Baloi. – Independent Foreign Service