U.S. Announcement of Campaign to Capture Fugitives Indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda

Pierre-Richard Prosper, Ambassador, Office of War Crimes Issues
Press Conference
Nairobi, Kenya
June 12, 2002

Today, the United States of America is announcing the beginning of an aggressive and targeted campaign to apprehend key persons indicted by the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda for serious violations of international humanitarian law, including genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. I am pleased that joining me here today in making this announcement is Kenyan Attorney General Mr. Amos Wako, the Registrar for the Tribunal for Rwanda Mr. Adama Dieng, the Tribunal’s Director of Investigations Mr. Laurent Walpen, from the White House – the Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for African Affairs – Dr. Jendayi Frazer and our chargé d’affaires of our embassy here in Nairobi, Mr. William Brencick.

As many of you know, the United States has been a leader in seeking accountability for grave violations of international humanitarian law. Our Rewards for Justice program has been an indispensable tool in our effort to bring perpetrators to justice. We have used this program in the war on terror and in the former Yugoslavia in pursuit of notorious persons indicted for war crimes, including Slobodan Milosevic, Radovan Karadzic, and Ratko Mladic. Today we are bringing this tool to bear on those individuals who have been indicted by the ICTR for serious violations of international humanitarian law, that is, those most responsible and most wanted for the Rwandan genocide. Our goal is to search for each key indicted individual one by one until they are apprehended and brought into the custody of the Tribunal. This effort is done under the authority of Public Law 106-277 (October 2000) sponsored by Senator Feingold (D-WI).

We begin our campaign today in search of a man accused of being the main supporter and financier of the Interahamwe militia who were behind the massacre of over 800,000 of Rwanda’s men, women, and children in 100 days of terror. The name of this fugitive from justice is Félicien Kabuga.

Mr. Kabuga is a wealthy businessman who is accused of using his vast assets to propel the Rwandan massacres, firstly, by affording a platform to disseminate the message of ethnic hatred through the radio station, Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines (RTLM), and secondly, by providing logistic support such as weapons, uniforms, and transportation to the Interahamwe militia group of the Mouvement Républicain National pour le Démocratie et le Développement (MRND) and the militia of Coalition pour la Défense de la République (CDR).

Félicien Kabuga is accused of planting the seeds of the massacre by propagating extremist Hutu ideology and its message of ethnic hatred and violence, and thus, contributing to the genocidal indoctrination of the Rwandan people. As an example of his commitment to this evil, when asked to stop broadcasting messages inciting inter-ethnic hatred, Félicien Kabuga defended and continued the broadcasts on the radio station he dedicated to "Hutu Power," according to the indictment.

Félicien Kabuga is accused of exercising considerable influence over the MRND and CDR members, militiamen, and the local authorities as their main financier and backer. It is these local authorities and militiamen, in complicity with members of the military, who massacred the Tutsi population and moderate Hutu throughout the Rwandan territory.

Félicien Kabuga is also accused of distributing weapons with the intent to exterminate the Tutsi population and eliminate its "accomplices." Through his company Félicien Kabuga is alleged to have made massive purchases of machetes, hoes, and other agricultural implements knowing that they would be used as weapons of murder.

For these alleged acts, Mr. Kabuga is indicted for genocide, crimes against humanity, and violations of the Geneva Convention. It is now time to bring him to justice. It is time for Mr. Kabuga to come out of hiding and face the charges against him. It is time for those who have information to come forward and time for those who are harboring Félicien Kabuga to cease their protection.

Félicien Kabuga is believed to frequent Kenya, Europe, and other countries such as Madagascar and Gabon. Through this advertising campaign, and with the help of the Kenyan officials and citizens, we will begin the search for him here in Kenya. He is believed to spend time in the cities of Nairobi, Mombasa, and Eldoret. We are determined to bring him to justice and are willing to pay up to $5 million for information leading to his apprehension. We ask everyone and anyone who possesses information as to his whereabouts to come forward. We have set up a special "task force" here in the Barclay’s building to spearhead this effort to catch Mr. Kabuga. We ask anyone who knows of Mr. Kabuga’s whereabouts to visit this office or to contact us by telephone at 0722-298483 or 0733-250208 or by e-mail at rewards@state.gov. All contacts will be kept strictly confidential.

While today we are focused on Félicien Kabuga, this is only the beginning of our efforts. Tomorrow we plan to meet with the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Joseph Kabila, to lay the groundwork to bring the campaign there in the near future. At least 8 other persons have been identified who are indicted by the ICTR who we believe are presently in the Congo. But there are many more there and throughout Africa and Europe. These individuals continue to play a destructive role and are fueling the war that has gripped the Great Lakes region of Africa for over half a decade. These at-large indictees also form the leadership of a terrorist group, Army for the Liberation of Rwanda (ALIR). A group that is linked to the killing of American and British citizens in Bwindi National Park in Uganda in 1999.

While they are fugitives of justice, they can run but they cannot hide. We are now in pursuit. We are prepared to move this "task force" and campaign to where the information leads us and to wherever it is needed. The arm of justice is long and patient. The United States will use those resources at its disposal to assist in the apprehension of these fugitives and end once and for all this criminal enterprise. The reward of up to $5 million is part of this determination.

We ask all governments to meet their international obligation and join us in our effort. We ask all governments to lend full assistance to this campaign and assist in the apprehension of fugitives hiding from the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. To combat atrocities and end abuses and inhumanity we must stand together.

The United States remains committed to bringing those who commit genocide, war crimes and atrocities to justice. Whether the perpetrators are terrorists or war criminals, they must be sought and will be captured. Working with the Tribunal and the governments in the region we will strive towards bringing stability back to the Great Lakes. Only through a joint and concerted effort will peace and prosperity reign. Pursuing those who are committed to a path of destruction is a step in that direction. Our message today is clear and direct: the United States is committed to bringing genocidaires and war criminals to justice. Mr. Kabuga and his associates must now understand that they will be captured.

Ends