Rwanda - Uganda

Uganda arrests top Rwanda genocide suspect

Issued on: 02/07/2010 - 12:30Modified: 02/07/2010 - 15:57

Text by: RFI Follow

Jean-Bosco Uwinkindi, a fugitive suspect in Rwanda’s 1994 genocide, has been arrested in Uganda, police said on Friday. Uwinkindi, who is accused of helping to organise the mass killings, was picked up after crossing the Uganda border from the Democratic Republic of Congo. There is a four million-euro reward on his head.

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“The people in Arusha were tracking him. As soon as he crossed into Uganda, which was on 26th or 27th (June), they informed us. We picked him up on Wednesday in Mbarara,”

Other suspects at large:

Augustin Bizimana
Félicien Kabuga
Fulgence Kayishema
Protais Mpiranya
Bernard Munyagishari
Pheneas Munyarugarama
Aloys Ndimbati
Ladislas Ntaganzwa
Charles Ryandikayo
Charles Sikubwabo

said Edward Ochom, head of Uganda’s Criminal Investigation Directorate.

Before his arrest on Wednesday, he was one of 11 suspects still at large and wanted by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) for the killing of an estimated 800,000 people.

In 2001 Uwinkindi was indicted by the ICTR for genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide and extermination as a crime against humanity.

He had been working as a pastor near Kigali during the genocide and allegedly collaborated with a group that professed hatred for the Tutsi ethnic group, according to a copy of his indictment.

"On arrest he claimed he was taking his wife to Kampala and said he was thereafter planning to hand himself over to the Rwanda Tribunal that sits in Arusha, Tanzania for trial," correspondent Patricia Okoed-Bukumunhe told RFI.

Previously the US State Department offered a four million euro reward for information leading to his arrest.

The Daily Monitor newspaper reported on Friday that Uwinkindi had been using the name Jean Inshitu and was trying to buy land and settle under his assumed name.

"He was trying to buy land near a refugee camp and settle in Uganda," said Okoed-Bukumunhe.

Elly Womanya, deputy director of Interpol’s Kampala office, told the AFP news agency that Uwinkindi would be transferred to the ICTR as soon as possible.