Two Rwandans named in a list of the 100 most wanted suspects for the 1994 genocide are living freely in Britain despite demands that they return home to stand trial.
Charles Munyaneza (48) and Celestin Ugirashebuja (55), local mayors accused of organising the genocide in their provinces of southern Rwanda, are leading ordinary lives with their families in south-east England.
Munyaneza, a father of four, lives at an address known to British authorities. Four months ago the Rwandan government issued an international warrant for his arrest, and called for him to be deported to stand trial. But as yet Munyaneza has received no visits from the police or immigration officials.
British government sources said the international warrant had no power because the United Kingdom does not have an extradition treaty with Rwanda and police were under no obligation to visit the suspects.
Foreign Office sources added that Munyaneza and Ugirashebuja were not the only two genocide suspects in the UK, putting the number at ”several”.
Last week Munyaneza was named as wanted man number 54 in a list compiled by the prosecutor general in Kigali of 100 genocide suspects known to be evading justice abroad. Ugirashebuja was number 93.
At a meeting of foreign diplomats, the prosecutor sought help in tracing the men. As he did so, Munyaneza was going about his daily business, leaving his home in the morning to travel to his job as a cleaner and returning in the late afternoon, wearing tracksuit bottoms and T-shirt, and driving a grey saloon car.
In a 63-page report by a Kigali-based human rights group African Rights, sent to the UK Home Office in January, more than 40 witnesses gave accounts of the massacres Munyaneza is said to have organised and killings he allegedly took part in himself.
The report’s authors call for the UK to rescind Munyaneza’s refugee status because ”his acts clearly meet the international standard of genocide and crimes against humanity”.
Claver Gatete, the Rwandan ambassador in London, said: ”We had hoped the UK government would take action … We are in discussions with them but we would like to have seen him arrested by now… This is very crucial for us.”
Munyaneza sought asylum in Britain under the name Muneza and was granted indefinite leave to remain in 2002. Speaking to The Guardian, Munyaneza denied taking part in the killings. ”There are people spreading lies about me. I am prepared to go into a court in England and prove my innocence.”
The Rwandan government says it is making arrangements for the 100 named suspects and others who are identified in future to stand trial in Kigali and is considering rescinding the death penalty for those suspects extradited from countries such as Britain.
Munyaneza is accused of coordinating and taking part in a series of large-scale massacres in Gikongoro, southern Rwanda.
Witnesses say he wore a military uniform, carried a gun and paid daily visits to the roadblocks set up to catch and kill Tutsis, often using a loudspeaker to urge Hutus to kill their Tutsi neighbours.
In Ruhashya, where a massacre took place in an agricultural centre, witnesses said he incited murder, saying: ”All of you, men, women and girls, must take part. I don’t want to see a single Tutsi alive on this hill.” — Â