Arusha, June 29th, 2004 (FH) – The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) is in huge financial difficulties. An official source at the Tribunal revealed to Hirondelle News Agency Tuesday that more than 140 of the 191 member states have not honoured their financial commitments to this UN body charged with prosecuting those responsible for the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.

The UN had approved US$ 212,257,500 for the 2004-2005 budget. The spokesman of the ICTR, Roland Amoussouga stated that by the end of May, pledges of up to US$ 150 million had not yet been paid. Amoussouga said that the delays are “a real danger to the smooth running of trials” and that “it was putting the credibility of the organisation at stake”. He added that if the situation was not remedied soon, it would have “a negative impact” on the workings of the ICTR. Recruitment of new personnel has already been put on hold and belt-tightening measures put in place. The Tribunal which opened the first case in 1997 has already passed 16 judgments and the last few months have seen an increased pace of trials. A fourth chamber, financed by the Norwegian government, is already in the pipeline. Unofficial sources suggest that some of the countries still dragging their feet are the United States, Japan and other ”big contributors”. The same source says that the European countries have already paid their dues. Though the spokesman refused to confirm this information, he said that the difficulties were not due to the loss of interest in the Rwandan genocide. It is now just a few months on from the 10th anniversary of this drama that caused the deaths of an estimated one million people between April and July 1994. The problems are mainly due to financial reforms undertaken by the UN Security Council which decided last year that funds destined for peace keeping operations could no longer be used to cover the delayed pledges. Since 2003, if funds meant for peace keeping are not utilised, they are remitted back to their donors. The ICTR’s top leadership; The President, Registrar and Prosecutor, have been criss-crossing the world reminding countries still behind on their payments to honour their pledges and help bring to book those responsible for genocide and put an end to the culture of impunity. Sources in Arusha also say that the UN Secretary General has also written to the countries reminding them of their obligations. The financial concerns are surfacing as senior ICTR officials are at UN headquarters in New York to present their half-year report on developments at the Tribunal. UN Resolution 1503 which also concerns the sister Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), states that all ICTR investigations will be closed by the end of this year. The Trial Chambers are due to close by 2008 while Appeals will continue until 2010. PB/KN/JA/GF/FH (ICTR’’0629)