betty watch 2010

After fourteen or so months under house arrest, it looks like Laurent Nkunda may finally get his day in court. Maybe:

Rwanda's Supreme Court has ruled that only the country's military court can hear a plea seeking the release of former Congolese warlord Laurent Nkunda, his lawyer said on Saturday.

Aime Bokanga, counsel for the former leader of the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP), told Reuters he was relieved that his client had finally secured a court hearing but disappointed the court had not ruled his detention illegal.

...Rwandan Minister of Justice Tharcisse Karugarama said the case had taken a long time because international law and the laws of two countries had to be taken into account...

"He is a general accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity. You don't just take that person and hand over to authorities on the Congo border ... let's give the judiciary a chance to finish it."

Did we all catch that last bit? I, for one, would like to thank Rwanda's justice system for not "just tak[ing Nkunda] and hand[ing him] over to authorities on the Congo border." But I hear there are quite a few in Kigali who would like nothing better....