The United States welcomed the conviction of former Rwandan mayor, Ndahinama, by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda on charges of genocide and urged the arrest and trial of remaining fugitive.
Spokesperson for the US State Department, Mark Toner, said,
"The United States welcomes this ruling as an important step in providing justice and accountability for the Rwandan people and the international community."
"[Ndahimana's conviction] is of particular significance, because as mayor of Kivumu he had authority over the police, and yet failed to prevent the massacre"
"Militia, police, civil and religious authorities participated in bulldozing the church, burying the refugees sheltered inside,"
"There are still nine ICTR fugitives at large and the United States urges all countries to redouble their cooperation with the ICTR so that these fugitives can be expeditiously arrested and brought to justice."
Gregory Ndahimana was mayor of the Kivumu district in 1994 when a church was bulldozed by police, killing more than 2,000 people trapped inside.
While he was cleared of directly participating in the massacre himself, Ndahimana was found to have played a crucial role in the killings.
More than 800,000 Tutsis were slaughtered during a 100-day killing spree in Rwanda during the infamous 1994 genocide.
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