20110409 – The United Nations secretary-general has urged the international community to speed up the arrest and prosecution of the remaining fugitives of the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

Mr Ban Ki-Moon said an effective healing process had to start with justice and added that the UN was committed to preventing the recurrence of such tragedies as the only way to honour victims of the genocide. His remarks were contained in a speech read on his behalf by the director-general of the UN Office in Nairobi, Dr Achim Steiner at the Rwandan High Commission in Gigiri.

The UN boss also said the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, the International Criminal Court and other international courts were sending strong signals that the world will not tolerate impunity and gross violations of human rights.

The 17th commemoration is the first time the Rwanda High Commission partnered withy the UN Information Centre to jointly mark the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 genocide in which more than a million people were massacred in 100 days.

The guiding theme for this year’s commemoration is “Up-holding the truth, preserving our dignity”. The UN secretary-general further paid tribute to the people of Rwanda and their government for the resilience and dignity they had shown towards national healing and recovery.

Kenya has so far surrendered 11 key suspects of the genocide, including war time Prime Minister Jean Kambanda, however it is still widely believed that Felicien Kabuga is in Kenya.