NSENGIYUMVA ORDERED KILLINGS ON THE NIGHT OF HABYARIMANA'S ASSASSINATION, SAYS WITNESS

Arusha, November 28th, 2002 (FH) - Anatole Nsengiyumva, one of the four defendants in the so called military trial, ordered the killing of Tutsis at Gisenyi Prefecture after receiving the news of President Juvenal Habyarimana's assassination on the night of April 6th 1994, a prosecution witness told the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda on Thursday. Colonel Nsengiyumva is in a joint trial with three former military officers namely Théoneste Bagosora a former advisor at the Rwandan defence ministry (chef de cabinet), Major Aloys Ntabakuze and General Gratien Kabiligi.

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The second prosecution witness named "ZF" to protect his identity from the public, said in a long narrative this morning that he was at Gisenyi Military camp at 9. 00 pm. when Nsengiyumva made the announcement. According to the witness, the accused came out of office after a long telephone conversation with Bagosora and broke the news to some military officers. Nsengiyumva was the commander in charge of military operations in Gisenyi province. The witness recalled Nsengiyumva as saying : “the presidential plane has just been shot down. We don't have more information about this. " ZF added Nsengiyumva also said " the work has to begin to finish off the Inyenzi (Tutsi)”. According to ZF, Nsengiyumva was very distressed by the news of the shooting down of the presidential plane. The witness also said that after a while, soldiers from the camp were brought together and assigned to respective defence positions. He recalled that the head of the militia also showed up immediately after the soldiers had left for the assignments and had a lengthy talk with Nsengiyumva. Also in the camp at that time was a gathering of about 200 people including well know militiamen. ZF, who was being led in his chief evidence by prosecutor Barbara Mulvaney of The United States, said Lieutenant Bizimuremyi, who was in charge of army intelligence, addressed the crowd shortly before he left the camp. "The soldiers have to do their work, as for you, you are also going to begin your work. Spare no one, not even babies. Do it quickly so that in the morning we shall have finished", the witness said. The witness, who testified mainly against Nsengiyumva, said that after Bizimuremyi's speech people went to the city to execute the killings late at night. He joined Nsengiyumva later in his office and he (Nsengiyumva) talked about the evilness of Tutsis. At 4. 00 a. m. , Bizimuremyi came back to the camp and informed Nsengiyumva that the operations had been completed in the city and the soldiers and civilians would extend it to the rural areas the next day. The witness said Bagosora called Nsengiyumva who informed him that operations had been completed in the city. Distribution of weaponsThe witness recalled that Bizimuryemi distributed weapons to militia chiefs at the Gisenyi military camp in 1993. "They were given pistols, cartridges and transmitter receiver radios," ZF said, adding that Bizimuryemi's duties was to take instructions and intelligence from Nsengiyumva and convey them to militias in Gisenyi. He would also bring all the information from the militias back to him. Witness "ZF" will continue with his testimony on Monday. The trial is before ICTR's Trial Chamber Three composed of judges Lloyd George Williams of St. Kitts and Nevis, (presiding) Pavel Dolenc of Slovenia and Andresia Vaz of Senegal. PJ/CE/FH (ML-1128e)