African Union calls for investigation of genocides

By Addis Getachew Tadesse

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AA) - The African Union's Peace and Security Council on Monday called for an investigation, arrest, prosecution and extradition of individuals who perpetrated genocide in Africa.

The Council "welcomes the efforts by those Member States, which are investigating and prosecuting individuals who were involved in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda and calls upon all the other Member States, which have not yet done so, to also investigate, arrest, prosecute or extradite the genocide fugitives currently residing in their territories, including the leaders of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR)," according to the communiqué of a March 11 meeting on preventing ideology of genocide in Africa.

Between 500,000 and 1,000,000 people were killed in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda where minority Tutsis were targeted in a hate propaganda.

The Council also acknowledged that "deliberate tendencies of discrimination, marginalization, tribalism and manipulation of ethnicity often create conducive conditions for hate crimes and ideologies of genocide to thrive".

"In this regard, Council urges Member States, which have not yet done so, to establish necessary legal frameworks, in order to prevent violent conflicts, discrimination, hate crimes and genocide.

"Council also urges Member States to establish effective national infrastructures for peace as part of efforts to prevent mass atrocities, and to address all root causes of hate crimes and ideologies of genocide," it said.

The Council also acknowledged the media's "important" role in efforts aimed at promoting social cohesion and nation-building, as well as peace and stability in member states, and stressed the need for responsible and balanced media reporting.