WASHINGTON, May 13 (UPI) -- A program designed to bring to justice individuals indicted for committing genocide and other war crimes has been renewed by the U.S. State Department.
The rewards for justice program has been renewed, according to an announcement from U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer and Ambassador at Large for War Crimes Issues Clint Williamson.
The RFJ program, which also includes counter-terrorism and counter-narcotics along with war crimes in its scope, was created in the wake of the Rwandan genocide in 1994, the State Department reported.
The program is working to bring 13 individuals, currently at large, who were indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda for war crimes including genocide and facilitating massacres. The State Department is working with the United Nations and the ICTR in an effort to bring peace to the African Great Lakes Region by offering rewards of up to $5 million for information that leads to arrests.
"Since 2004, we have demonstrated U.S. commitment to prevent further conflict and support conflict resolution through the facilitation of the Tripartite Plus process. This process is a confidence-building measure amongst the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi, which aims to end the threat of illegal armed groups in eastern DR Congo," the release said.
