Zimbabwe denies harbouring Rwandan genocide fugitive

Zimbabwe has denied harbouring Rwandan genocide fugitive Protais Mpiranya after it emerged that he died in 2006 and was buried in the country after living there for four years.

The 20-year manhunt for one of the world's most brutal killers came to a final end in an overgrown cemetery outside Harare, but Zimbabwean authorities say they did not conceal his whereabouts.

As a law abiding nation, Zimbabwe will never harbour criminals and welcomes findings from DNA samples extracted from the fugitive foreign affairs minister Frederick Shava, said in a statement on Sunday.

He said that the government of Zimbabwe cooperated with UN investigators into Mpiranya's case.

The government of Zimbabwe wishes to clarify some recent media reports that are circulating insinuating that the government was harbouring the most wanted Rwandese fugitive, Protais Mpiranya whose remains were allegedly found in Zimbabwe under the alias Ndume Sambao, according to the statement.

The body of Mpiranya, a former commander of the Rwandan presidential guard indicted for genocide, lay buried under a stone slab bearing a false name, which UN investigators found on a stolen computer the hand-drawn design for Mpiranya's tombstone.

His remains were exhumed last month at the request of UN investigators, and his identity was confirmed by DNA analysis on Tuesday.

The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals IRMCT said that Zimbabwe has joined a taskforce to coordinate the investigation, and that the Zimbabwean authorities insist that they cooperate with the investigation by the organisation charged with tracking down fugitive criminals.

Zimbabwe cooperated fully with the investigation team from day one, according to the statement. The Zimbabwean authorities have always adhered to the country's international legal obligations. Authorities in Harare said they were involved in the exhumation of Mpiranya's remains and authorised DNA samples to confirm his identity.

The government claims that it will raise some eyebrows among those who have followed the search. Investigators have long suspected the fugitive of hiding in Zimbabwe and have made repeated attempts to persuade local authorities to hand over Mpiranya, investigate his activities or provide evidence of his death.

As early as December 2010, investigators reported to the UN security council that Mpiranya had connections with Zimbabwe and had lived there for long periods.

In 2012, under pressure from Kigali, Zimbabwean authorities admitted that the fugitive could be on their territory and pledged to find him dead or alive. The question of his presence in Zimbabwe was discussed in parliament, and local media listed possible aliases and addresses associated with him.

Officials from the IRMCT travelled to Zimbabwe months after President Robert Mugabe was forced from power in November 2017 in the hope that the new government would prove more helpful.

In 2020, despite credible evidence of the whereabouts of key fugitives, the lack of cooperation from governments remained a challenge, especially in East and Southern Africa, according to Serge Brammertz, prosecutor of the IRMCT.

According to the IRMCT, Mpiranya fled to Zimbabwe in 2002, where his entry was facilitated by local officials. He brought family and associates to Zimbabwe, together with a series of trusted subordinates, for four years he was able to escape arrest in Zimbabwe, where he lived in an affluent area of Harare, and continued his engagement with Zimbabwean military officials, while also receiving a series of visitors from overseas.