Rwanda: Fugitive Kabuga Appoints Lawyer to Negotiate With Government - Report

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Rwanda News Agency/Agence Rwandaise d'Information (Kigali)

19 June 2008
Posted to the web 19 June 2008

Kigali

The man most wanted for Genocide by Rwanda, the U.S. and the UN war crimes court for Rwanda will soon have a legal representative appointed for him in Oslo, Norway in preparation for his imminent contacts with Kigali, RNA reports.

Discussions with the lawyer have been on-going for the last 14 days, now on the final stages and a deal on how to move forward is expected to be announced within the next 14 days or so, reports African Press International - API.

The Oslo based an online platform first came out with a controversial interview of the alleged Genocide financer Felicien Kabuga in April. It reported that he was in Norway and had moved through several EU countries. Kenya is said to have been keeping him and a taskforce frantically searching for him.

Last month, API Chief Editor told RNA in an interview that following Kabuga's offer for 'talks' with government on his preference to surrender to Rwanda instead of UN tribunal, government here had started contacts through its Envoy in Belgium.

The Agency says the Norwegian lawyer is ready to make contact with the Government of Rwanda in an effort to establish a road map for Mr. Kabuga's surrender on agreeable terms.

Apparently, Mr. Kabuga, once he gets a lawyer appointed to take care of his interests such as his health concerns - as he has severe diabetes, will make the next move on his wish to hand himself in, but conditionally.

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"If he chooses to seek asylum in Norway, his case will have to be dealt just like it is done with all other applicants and any move by the Rwandan government or ICTR to have him deported will take years being dealt with by the Norwegian court system, a system that may even overrule deportation even if it has to do with genocide because the system guarantees the rights of every individual at all levels, no matter the historical background of the person in question", API writes.

In Kenya meanwhile, Dr Charles Nyandwi - at the center of a recent arrest who the authorities believed was Kabuga, is recovering from his ordeal. He is reported to have started his teaching job in mathematics at the College of Physical and Biological Sciences.

The U.S. government has extended its $5million bounty for Mr. Kabuga and 12 other individuals to focus specifically on DR Congo - where several fugitives have been rounded up.

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