Gaspard Kanyarukiga, a former businessman in Rwanda was yesterday, the 19th of July 2004, handed over to the ICTR and is currently in custody at the detention facility of the Tribunal.

Mr. Kanyarukiga who was indicted in 2001 for genocide and crimes against humanity had been on the run since then. He was arrested in South Africa on Friday the 16th July 2004 by the South African authorities at the request of the Prosecutor and handed over to the Tribunal.

Mr. Kanyarukiga is charged with responsibility for the deaths of over 2000 Tutsis in the Nyange Church in Kivumu Commune, Kibuye Prefecture in April 1994 when he and others organised and participated in the burning down and demolition of the church whilst it was full of these refugees. He will be making his initial appearance before a Judge of the Tribunal shortly.

This brings to three, the number of fugitives who have been arrested in the past 7 months with Yusuf Munyakazi transferred from the DRC and Ephrem Setako arrested in Holland and due for transfer to the Tribunal.

In his address to the UN Security Council on 29th June 2004, the Prosecutor of the ICTR, Mr. Hassan B. Jallow, reaffirmed his determination to track and apprehend all the remaining fugitive indictees and requested the cooperation of all states in this regard.

The Office of the Prosecutor of the ICTR expresses its deepest appreciation to the government of South Africa for its assistance in the arrest and transfer of this indictee and for its continued support to the mandate of the Tribunal.