At the request of the Prosecutor, on 5 and 7 June 1998 the authorities of Benin, Côte d'lvoire, Mali and Togo arrested six Rwandan nationals allegedly involved in the Rwanda genocide of 1994. The Prosecutor wishes to convey her gratitude for the exemplary cooperation and continued assistance of Benin, Côte d'lvoire, Mali and Togo.

One of the six, Mr. Emmanuel Bagambiki, former Prefect of Cyangugu has already been indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda on charges of genocide, crimes against humanity and violations of Article 3 common to the Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocol II. The warrant for his arrest had been issued by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (lCTR) on 10 October 1997.

Mr. Mathieu Ngirumpatse, former Director General of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and President of the former ruling party, MRND, (Mouvement républicain national pour la démocratie et le développement); Mr. Edouard Karamera, former Minister of Interior of the interim government and former Vice President of MRND; Mr. Joseph Nzirorera, former President of the National Assembly and Secretary General of the MRND; Mr. Juvenal Kajelijeli, former Bourgmestre of Mukingo; and Mr. Omar Serushago, a businessman and local leader of the Interahamwe militia in the Gisenyi prefecture, were arrested pursuant to a request by the prosecutor under Rule 40 of the Rules of Procedure and Evidence of the ICTR.

[Rule 40 of the Tribunal's Rules provide that the Prosecutor may request any State to arrest a suspect provisionally].

These arrests are the result of the continuing strategy adopted a year ago to investigate and prosecute persons responsible for crimes within the jurisdiction of the ICTR and who held positions of leadership in Rwanda during 1994.