Minor damage reported after fire hits UN war crimes tribunal for Rwanda

2 April 2004 – A small fire broke out at the United Nations war crimes tribunal for Rwanda early today, but there were no injuries and damage was minimal, a spokesperson for the UN said.

The spokesperson, Marie Okabe, said security staff for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) and local fire authorities in Arusha, Tanzania, where the ICTR is based, acted quickly to contain the fire this morning. Damage was limited to office documents and equipment.

Ms. Okabe said initial investigations pointed to an electrical problem as the cause of the fire, but a thorough probe would continue. Court proceedings have been adjourned until Monday.

The ICTR was set up by the UN Security Council to hear cases relating to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, when some 800,000 Tutsis and "moderate" Hutus were killed in less than three months.