New York  - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon Thursday commended an international tribunal for its conviction and sentencing of a key player in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, former army colonel Theoneste Bagosora.

Bagosora and two other senior army officers were sentenced earlier Thursday to life in prison for their role in the massacre of more than 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus within the span of several months in 1994.

"These judgments constitute a major step in the fight against the impunity of those responsible for the most serious crimes of international concern," Ban said in a statement issued by his spokesperson. "The secretary-general firmly believes that international justice is an essential component of peace and reconciliation."

Ban also commended the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) - based in Arusha, Tanzania - for upholding due process and the rights of the accused.

The other two officers sentenced in Thursday's judgement were Major Aloys Ntabakuze and Colonel Anatole Nsengiyumva.

All three were found guilty of "genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes based on their role in crimes committed in Rwanda." (dpa)