Rwanda Tribunal Drops Prosecutors
The head of the U.N. tribunal for Rwanda has refused to renew the contracts of seven African and Indian prosecutors, citing incompetence, a move that sparked allegations of racism.
The decision by Carla del Ponte was revealed in a letter responding to a complaint the prosecutors had sent to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
The attorneys told Annan they thought that Del Ponte’s decision was racist and that their contracts should be renewed. Most of the contracts expire this month.
Tribunal spokeswoman Florence Hartmann said the decision to let the contracts lapse is part of a reorganization.
“We have an efficient counsel, but we don’t have enough proactive prosecutors,” said Hartmann, who dismissed the accusation of racism as “stupid.”
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