Pressure from the Holy See on the Italian government is reported to be the reason why a Hutu priest, living in Florence, has not been handed over to the U.N. tribunal to be tried for allegedly committing genocide in Rwanda. The Rev. Athanase Seromba, now attached to the Florentine church of San Mauro a Signa, is accused of ordering the bulldozing of his church in Nyange, Rwanda, on April 16, 1994. Some 2,500 Tutsi were crushed to death. Now known as Don Anastasio Sumba Bura, he says he had nothing to do with the Nyange massacre and wants to be left in peace. Carla Del Ponte, the tribunal's chief prosecutor, says, "It's a scandal. Belgrade has handed over Milosevic, but Rome won't grant me this arrest." Three other Rwandan suspects, including another priest, were arrested last week on the tribunal's orders in Belgium, Switzerland and the Netherlands. A few weeks ago the Vatican questioned the objectivity of a Belgian court that gave two Rwandan Benedictine nuns long jail sentences for genocide. Rakiya Omaar, the director of African Rights, a respected London-based human rights organization, said: "At the very least the church should have mounted an inquiry." UPI STOP NOVOM SVETSKOM PORETKU ==^================================================================ EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?bUrBE8.bVKZIq Or send an email To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] This email was sent to: [email protected] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
