A Kenyan court ruled that the assets of Felicien Kabuga, a fugitive wanted for financing Rwanda's genocide, should remain frozen until the Rwanda tribunal finishes the trials of those suspected of the 1994 massacre.

In May, Kenya froze the assets of Kabuga, Rwanda's most-wanted man who has a a $5 million US bounty on his head. His wife, Mukazitoni Josephine, objected to the ruling and applied to have the court order lifted.

"I hereby dismiss the preliminary objection (from Mukazitoni)," Judge Muga Apondi ruled. "That means that the orders I made on May 6 are in force till further notice."

Financing genocide

Felicien Kabuga is believed to be the main supporter and financier of the Interahamwe militia that killed some 800.000 ethnic Tutsi and moderate Hutu during the 1994 massacres. He bankrolled the Hutu militias who wielded their machetes during the 100-day genocidal frenzy.
 

Kabuga is accused of using his vast assets to propel the massacres by affording a platform to disseminate the message of ethnic hatred through the foundation of a radio station, Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines (RTLM). Besides he provided weapons, uniforms, and transportation to the Interahamwe.
 

Through his company Kabuga is alleged to have made massive purchases of machetes, hoes, and other agricultural implements knowing that they would be used as weapons of murder.
 

Political influence

Kabuga is also accused of exercising considerable influence over radical political party members, militiamen, and the local authorities as their main financier and backer. It is these local authorities and militiamen, together with members of the military, who massacred the Tutsi population and moderate Hutu in Rwanda.
 

The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in Arusha is seeking him since 1997 for conspiring to commit genocide and crimes against humanity. However, he used his wealth to evade arrest and justice.
 

The prosecutor at the Tanzania-based International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) has said Kenya has failed to act against Kabuga despite information by its own police force indicating he is in the east African country.
 

On the run

Kabuga fled Rwanda in July 1994 and sought asylum in Switzerland on a valid visa. Following his deportation there, he was able to fly to the Democratic Republic of Congo before an official complaint against him could be lodged. Since then he is believed to linger in Kenya.

Kabuga soon became one of the primary targets of investigations by the ICTR. He managed to escape several times, most probably because Kenyan president Daniel Arap Moi protected him.
 

In 2002 the US offered a reward up to US $ 5.000.000 for any information leading to the capture of Kabuga. Early 2003, Kabuga, again, was able to avoid an attempted arrest by both the Kenyan police and the FBI in Nairobi. The police informer tasked with entrapping Kabuga was found dead later. It is now hoped that that the new financial restrictions on Kabuga brings capture in sight.

ICTR
 

The UN court says there is evidence Kabuga entered Kenya, applied for residency status, had his visa approved and opened a bank account.
 

ICTR's main priority is to track down 13 remaining fugitives wanted for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The court, set up in 1994 to try the masterminds of the massacres, has convicted 32 people and acquitted six others.
 

It was originally expected to complete all trials by the end of 2008 and had until 2010 to hear appeals before winding up. However, cases have spilt over and the ICTR says it is working hard to finish hearing evidence in all trials by the end of 2009.