{"id":117212,"date":"2025-12-12T16:18:52","date_gmt":"2025-12-12T16:18:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/all-news\/rwanda-seeks-ictr-archives-for-historical-preservation"},"modified":"2025-12-12T17:03:17","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T17:03:17","slug":"rwanda-seeks-ictr-archives-for-historical-preservation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/policy\/rwanda-seeks-ictr-archives-for-historical-preservation","title":{"rendered":"Rwanda Seeks ICTR Archives for Historical Preservation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Rwanda. <\/strong><\/span>Rwanda has renewed its long-standing demand to take custody of the archives of the now defunct International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) and its successor, the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT), urging the UN Security Council to approve their relocation to Kigali as the Mechanism approaches closure.<\/p>\n

During a Council meeting on the IRMCT, on December 10, Rwanda\u2019s Permanent Representative to the UN, Amb. Martin Ngoga, said the country is ready to receive the archives \u201cimmediately,\u201d stressing that Rwanda now meets all technical, historical and institutional requirements.<\/p>\n

\u201cRwanda is uniquely positioned in this regard, with fully digitized archival systems, guaranteed funding commitments, and secure, purpose-built facilities compliant with UN archival and data-protection standards.<\/p>\n

\u201cRwanda stands ready to immediately engage with the Secretariat on modalities, timelines, and technical verification missions required for the responsible transfer of the ICTR and Mechanism archives,\u201d Ngoga said.<\/p>\n

Despite the fact that the archives are a property of UNSC, there have been efforts both from Rwanda and the international community to have the archives housed in Rwanda as they would contribute to the tribunal\u2019s own set agenda of reconciliation.<\/p>\n

Ngoga noted that the records represent \u201cthe authoritative historical account of the Genocide against the Tutsi,\u201d adding that their long-term preservation should be anchored in the country directly concerned.<\/p>\n

Since the ICTR closed on December 31, 2015, the archives have been under the custody of the IRMCT, in Arusha, Tanzania. The transfer happened under UN Security Council Resolution 1966 (2010), which created the Mechanism to assume remaining ICTR functions.<\/p>\n

Ngoga reiterated Rwanda\u2019s position that the IRMCT must now transition toward \u201cclear and irreversible closure,\u201d noting that the judicial docket is complete and only administrative and custodial functions remain. He said this required \u201cgenuine streamlining of remaining functions, meaningful rationalization of structures, and a responsible transition of tasks that no longer require an international tribunal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kigali also reaffirmed readiness to assume enforcement of all remaining sentences on its territory, citing its track record of hosting convicts from the Special Court for Sierra Leone since 2009 without a single security breach.<\/p>\n

Rwanda insists that relocating the archives is a matter of historical justice, accessibility and ownership for future generations.<\/p>\n

\u201cTheir long-term future must be secure, responsible, and anchored in the country most directly concerned. Accessibility and confidentiality will remain fully guaranteed,\u201d Ngoga said.<\/p>\n

With the Mechanism nearing the end of its mandate, Rwanda argues that returning ICTR archives to Kigali would be an essential part of concluding the Tribunal\u2019s legacy.<\/p>\n

Genocide fugitives still at large<\/p>\n

The envoy also raised concerns over genocide fugitives who remain at large under national indictments, saying non-cooperation by some states continues to \u201cundermine the global fight against impunity.\u201d<\/p>\n

More than 30 years after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, fugitives indicted for genocide continue to live openly in some parts of the world, he said, attributing this to states that \u201cpersistently refuse to cooperate,\u201d grant fugitives citizenship or political protection, or delay extradition despite full documentation.<\/p>\n

Rwanda has reaffirmed its readiness to receive Fe\u0301licien Kabuga, who remains in The Hague as the IRMCT weighs his relocation. In June 2023, the Mechanism ruled that Kabuga, considered one of the alleged chief architects of the 1994 Genocide, was unfit to stand trial.<\/p>\n

While acknowledging the Court\u2019s authority, Rwanda said it \u201cremains fully prepared\u201d to host Kabuga should he be transferred to his home country, stressing that it continues to offer \u201ca strong and appropriate option\u201d whenever the Mechanism decides.<\/p>\n

Kigali also raised alarm over persistent international non-cooperation in genocide-related cases. The government has submitted more than 1,000 indictments and extradition requests to foreign jurisdictions, of which only a small fraction has been executed.<\/p>\n

The failure to act not only obstructs justice but also fuels genocide denial and revictimizes survivors, rights activists say.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Rwanda<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Rwanda. Rwanda has renewed its long-standing demand to take custody of the archives of the now defunct International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) and its successor, the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT), urging the UN Security Council to approve their relocation to Kigali as the Mechanism approaches closure. During a Council […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":117211,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,14],"tags":[9001,2853,9000,758],"class_list":["post-117212","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-policy","tag-genocide-archives","tag-ictr","tag-irmct","tag-rwanda"],"yoast_head":"\nRwanda Seeks ICTR Archives for Historical Preservation - Rwanda<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Rwanda has renewed its long-standing demand to take custody of the archives of the now defunct International Criminal Tr ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/policy\/rwanda-seeks-ictr-archives-for-historical-preservation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Rwanda Seeks ICTR Archives for Historical Preservation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Rwanda has renewed its long-standing demand to take custody of the archives of the now defunct International Criminal Tr ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/policy\/rwanda-seeks-ictr-archives-for-historical-preservation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Rwanda\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-12-12T16:18:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-12-12T17:03:17+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sites\/23\/2025\/12\/sm_1765545932.286032.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"556\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/policy\/rwanda-seeks-ictr-archives-for-historical-preservation#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/policy\/rwanda-seeks-ictr-archives-for-historical-preservation\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Rwanda Seeks ICTR Archives for Historical Preservation\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-12T16:18:52+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-12T17:03:17+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/policy\/rwanda-seeks-ictr-archives-for-historical-preservation\"},\"wordCount\":642,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/policy\/rwanda-seeks-ictr-archives-for-historical-preservation#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sites\/23\/2025\/12\/sm_1765545932.286032.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Genocide archives\",\"ICTR\",\"IRMCT\",\"Rwanda\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"Policy\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/policy\/rwanda-seeks-ictr-archives-for-historical-preservation#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/policy\/rwanda-seeks-ictr-archives-for-historical-preservation\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/policy\/rwanda-seeks-ictr-archives-for-historical-preservation\",\"name\":\"Rwanda Seeks ICTR Archives for Historical Preservation - 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