The United Nations has extended the lifetime of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda to next year, according to a resolution passed by the UN Security Council.

The latest extension is the second for the Tanzania-based court which had originally been scheduled wind up its lower court cases by December 2008, but had its life extended to December 2009.

The UN Security Council "decides to extend the term of office of judges... until 31 December 2010, or until the completion of the cases to which they are assigned if sooner," it said.

It urged the tribunal, currently hearing 11 cases of 24 people accused of genocide-related crimes, to "take all possible measures to complete its work."

In June, ICTR chief Dennis Byron asked the world body for the extension.

The court was set up in late 1994 to try the instigators of the Rwandan genocide that year in which some 800 000 people, mainly Tutsi but also moderate Hutus, were killed.

AFP

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