Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz on official mission to Harare

Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz of the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism) will have an official visit to Harare, Zimbabwe, from 2 to 4 November 2021, as part of preparations for his regular biannual report to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

During his visit, the Chief Prosecutor is scheduled to meet with H.E. Constantino Chiwenga, Vice President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, the Hon. Kazembe Kazembe, the Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, the Hon. Ziyambi Ziyambi, the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, and the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. The Prosecutor will also meet with the Inter-Agency Task Force established by the Republic of Zimbabwe to provide assistance to the Mechanism Office of the Prosecutor.

The primary topic of discussion will be the cooperation of the Republic of Zimbabwe with the Mechanism Office of the Prosecutor in the search for the remaining fugitives indicted for genocide and other serious international crimes committed during the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda. As Chief Prosecutor Brammertz reported to the UNSC in May 2021, full and effective cooperation from the Republic of Zimbabwe is essential to move forward critical investigations, including the documented presence of a fugitive in Zimbabwean territory. The Chief Prosecutor and his interlocutors will also discuss other matters of mutual interest. The Chief Prosecutor will further take the opportunity to meet with some members of the diplomatic community in Zimbabwe.

It is expected that Prosecutor Brammertz will submit his next report to the UNSC in November 2021.