France denies to extradite genocide suspects Barahira and Ngenzi

The French justice took a decision denying the extradition of two Rwandans namely Barahira Tito and Octavien Ngenzi both being accused to have been part of the 1994 genocide perpetrators.

If the decision remains unchanged, the French courts will be conducting a second trial of the 1994 genocide suspects after the one of Simbikangwa Pascal convicted to 25 years in jail after being found guilty of his formal involvement into the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.

The 63 years old Tito Barahira and the 69 years old co-accused  Octavien Ngenzi have been the mayors of the former Kabarondo commune, and are accused to have played a role in the massacre that took the lives of Tutsis killed while they were hiding in one of the former local churches on, April, 13, 1994.

Octavien Ngenzi was captured in Mayotte islands in 2004. He was living there illegally under the forged identification papers claiming his refugee status.

His co-accused Tito Barahira was captured in Toulouse city, France, in 2013..

The spokesperson of the 1994 genocide survivors’ umbrella in France Alain Gauthier commended the French decision to try the suspects to provide justice to survivors.

Furthermore, 20 different investigative operations are being carried as to find tangible proofs and convict the remaining 1994 genocide suspects living in France.

France is one the European nations that keep hosting Rwandans suspected to have committed the genocide against the Tutsi in 1994.

Even though the French justice tried some of the suspects, including Simbikangwa, observers wonder why the French justice have not yet extradite suspects to Rwanda as Norway and Canada did in the previous years.

UM– USEKE.RW