But nearly five years after the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda was established, critics and some of the court's supporters say its mission has been thwarted by costly bureaucracy and bitter power struggles. And the clock is ticking. Denmark sent Plum to assist the tribunal last year but pulled him out early, publicly criticising the court's management. Where the blame lies is unclear, but everyone points a finger. Judges say the prosecution has a poor strategy.
Prosecutors say they are charting a new system of justice.
Both contend the registrar, who controls the budget and paperwork, is inept. All say United Nations bureaucracy is debilitating in a court that works in English, French and Kinyarwanda. Legal assistants and translators with legal backgrounds are lacking, he said. The prosecution is not adapting to developments, allowing delays in one area to delay everything. A recent appeal on a technicality took eight months because of slow paperwork.