Nine Rwandans suspected of involvement in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi face extradition from Zambia to Rwanda following the signing of a treaty between the two countries last week.

Rwanda says it sent the request to Zambia and anticipates collaboration when the extradition treaty becomes enforceable.

“We look forward to working with the Zambian justice system to bring to book all Rwandan fugitives hiding there,” said Faustin Nkusi, spokesperson of the Rwandan Prosecution Authority.

The extradition treaty, which has been in negotiation since 2009, was signed during the recent two-day state visit by Rwanda President Paul Kagame to Zambia.

According to Minister of State for Constitutional and Legal Affairs Evode Uwizeyimana, who signed the treaty for Rwanda, the agreement will only be enforceable after it is ratified and domesticated by both countries. This could be delayed by administrative procedures, but Mr Uwizeyimana said he expects the process to be expedited.

“We are confident that the ratification will be swift because both countries entered into the agreement after due consideration, and the fact that the signing was witnessed by the heads of state emphasises the commitment of both parties,” he said.

Once the treaty is domesticated, the two countries will exchange suspects, convicts or those undergoing trial as and when required.

The prosecution did not reveal the details of the suspects “due to the sensitivity of investigations,” but said they face genocide and crimes against humanity charges.

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Rwanda has also signed extradition agreements with Malawi and Mozambique. Apart from the DRC, which hosts more than 286,386 Rwandan refugees, according to UNHCR statistics, Mozambique and Zambia have the largest number of Rwandan refugees; Zambia hosts approximately 4,000 Rwandan refugees.

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Mr Uwizeyimana said the agreements are “for long-term benefit,” and do not target any specific group.

So far, Zambia has not extradited any genocide suspect to Rwanda. However, Jean-Paul Akayesu, the former mayor of Taba Commune in southern Rwanda who was the first man to be found guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, was arrested in Zambia in October 1995.

Mr Akayesu is serving a life sentence in a prison in Mali.

In January 2010, then-president Rupiah Banda visited Rwanda and pledged to ensure that Zambia was no longer a safe haven for individuals who were alleged to have taken part in planning the genocide.

However, subsequent attempts to have suspected fugitives extradited failed, with Zambian authorities citing lack of an extradition arrangement between the two countries.