How the Southern Africa States Became a Safe Haven for Genocide Fugitives

The extradition of a genocide convict, Vincent Murekezi, yesterday, is a long-overdue first step by Malawi, a southern African country criticized for sheltering genocide fugitives for more than two decades.

Malawi is not the only country to extradite genocide suspects recently, but it may be the first in southern Africa to send fugitives to face justice in Rwanda.

Under international law, all states have an obligation to extradite or prosecute genocide suspects before their own courts irrespective of the location of the crimes and irrespective of the nationality of the victim or the perpetrator. Countries including Denmark, Congo, Belgium, the Netherlands, the United States and Canada have recently extradited, prosecuted and, in some cases, convicted perpetrators of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.

several high-profile fugitives are still believed to live quite comfortably in southern Africa, mainly in Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

One of the most wanted genocide fugitives, Protais Mpiranya, is reportedly sheltered by the Zimbabwean government. He is said to run businesses in Harare and to work as a mercenary for the ruling ZANU-PF party, silencing the opposition. The US government has offered a $5 million reward for him as part of the Rewards for Justice Program. He uses several aliases, including Yahaya Mohamed, Hirwa Protais Alain, Alain Protais Muhire, James Kakule, and Mambo Mapendo Augustin.

In the immediate aftermath of the genocide, many Rwandan Hutu refugees, including genocide perpetrators, sought asylum in these countries often under fake names, making it even more difficult to track them down. An estimated 5,000 to 10,000 Rwandans have settled in the region since 1994.

Malawi’s decision to send its first genocide suspect to Rwanda may be too little, too late, but it sets an important precedent that should be followed by other southern African states such as Zimbabwe.

It remains to be seen whether this new momentum will catch on in the rest of southern Africa. Ends.

By Albert Gasake