U.N. extends term of Rwanda tribunal

UNITED NATIONS, July 10 (UPI) -- The U.N. Security Council has extended the term of the tribunal on the Rwandan genocide until Dec. 31, 2010.

The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, based in Tanzania, was originally scheduled to finish all trials by the end of 2008 and wrap up its work by December.

The judges assigned to the court have said they do not believe the Rwandan judicial system is prepared to handle genocide cases, the BBC reported.

In 15 years, the court has convicted 37 people and acquitted six. Eleven trials are in progress and some suspects have not yet been found.

More than 800,000 people died in Rwanda in 1994, most of them Tutsis or moderate Hutus killed by Hutu extremists.