Rwanda: Deliver Justice for Victims of Both Sides

For Immediate Release:

Rwanda: Deliver Justice for Victims of Both Sides

(New York, August 12, 2002) - The U.N. Security Council must stand
behind its intention of delivering justice to victims of both sides in
the conflict that devastated Rwanda in 1994, Human Rights Watch said
today.

In a letter to current Security Council President John Negroponte, Human
Rights Watch stressed the importance of bringing to justice not only
those behind the genocide but also members of the Rwandan Patriotic Army
(RPA) who committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in 1994.

"The Rwandan Patriotic Army murdered thousands in 1994, committing war
crimes and crimes against humanity," said Kenneth Roth, executive
director of Human Rights Watch. "The president of Rwanda, Paul Kagame,
himself has admitted that some of his soldiers committed abuses. But now
the Rwandan government opposes bringing the accused before international
justice."

In 1994, the Security Council established the International Criminal
Tribunal for Rwanda to prosecute genocide and other crimes against
humanity committed in Rwanda. Until now, the tribunal has tried only
those accused of genocide. But the chief prosecutor, Carla Del Ponte,
recently announced that she would seek indictments against some members
of the RPA for violating international humanitarian law. Her effort to
pursue the worst abuses by both sides to the conflict parallels her work
in the former Yugoslavia.

Since then, the Rwandan government has hindered the travel of witnesses,
causing the suspension of three genocide trials. It has also failed to
provide documents requested by the prosecutor. The prosecutor reported
these obstructions to the Security Council in late July.

The Rwandan government says the tribunal should try only genocide cases
and leave any possible prosecution of RPA members to Rwandan courts. But
victims of RPA crimes in 1994 have little chance for justice within the
country. Rwandan military courts have tried very few RPA soldiers for
1994 crimes and those convicted have received light sentences. Rwandan
authorities also have banned the newly created gacaca or people's courts
from trying crimes by RPA soldiers.

In response to the prosecutor's charges, the Rwandan government repeated
its own frequently voiced criticisms of the tribunal's performance.

"Rwandan authorities deplore the failures of the tribunal, and there
have been some," said Roth. "But in this case the Rwandan government
has shown itself to be more worried about the tribunal's potential for
success-in prosecuting the RPA."

The letter to U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte, President of the U.N.
Security Council, and members of Security Council is available at
http://hrw.org/press/2002/08/rwanda-ltr0809.htm.

For more information, please contact:

In New York: Kenneth Roth: +1-212-216-1801
In Boston, Alison DesForges: +1-508-349-3986

--
Jeff Scott
Africa Division
Human Rights Watch
Phone: +1-212-216-1834
Fax: +1-212-736-1300
http://www.hrw.org/africa/index.php
en français, http://www.hrw.org/french/africa/