Nov 16, 2009

NAIROBI (Reuters) - The United States wants Kenya to hand over a Rwanda genocide suspect it believes the east African nation has been harbouring for years, President Barack Obama's war crimes envoy said on Monday.

Stephen Rapp, U.S. ambassador-at-large for war crimes issues, said the fact Kenya had not delivered the suspect to the Rwanda war crimes tribunal was part and parcel of the impunity prevalent in east Africa's biggest economy.

The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) said last year Kenya was failing to act against Felicien Kabuga -- despite evidence of his entry into the country, application for residency, visa approval and opening of a bank account.

Kabuga is Rwanda's most-wanted man and the United States has put a $5 million bounty on his head.

A Hutu businessman, Kabuga is accused of funding the militias that butchered some 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus over a span of 100 days in 1994.

"I've seen pictures of him in Kenyan neighbourhoods, the ICTR has continued to press with Kenyan authorities for effective action to bring about his arrest. Even arriving last night, I received fresh information of his presence in Kenya," Rapp told a news conference in Kenya's capital.

Kenya froze Kabuga's assets in May this year, but has questioned whether the genocide suspect is still in Kenya.

Rapp said the latest government response was that Kabuga had now left Kenya, but it was still looking for evidence to confirm his departure.