BIZIMUNGU ALLEGEDLY ASKED INTERAHAMWE TO KILL ALL TUTSIS

Arusha, December 8, 2003 (FH) -The sixth prosecution witness in the trial of four former cabinet ministers in the Rwanda interim government, Monday told the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda that one of the accused, the former minister, Casimir Bizimungu, had urged Interahamwe militia in1994 to kill all Tutsis in Ruhengeri prefecture. The other accused in the so-called Government IItrial are the former minister of Foreign Affairs Jérôme Bicamumpaka, that of Commerce, Justin Mugenzi and Prosper Mugiraneza, former minister of Public Service.

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The witness code-named as GKBto conceal his identity, was among a group of 70 Interahamwe militia (youth wing of MRND), who Bizimungu allegedly addressed on the night of April 6th 1994. The meeting was held at the house of the mother of Joseph Nzirorera (president of National Assembly and Secretary-general of MRND). He (Bizimungu) said that the following morning, we (Interahamwe) were supposed to start killing all Tutsis. GBK stated. Bizimungu, the witness said, had stated that no Tutsi should be left alive. He asked the Interahamwe to exterminate all Tutsis in Ruhengeri prefecture and also extend the killings to neigbouring prefectures. Also in attendance during the meeting were Nzirorera and former Mukingo Mayor Juvenal Kajelijeli. Kajelijeli was recently sentenced to life imprisonment by the tribunal for his role in the genocide. On the morning of 7th, GKB said that his group of thirty-five which had been issued with firearms before dawn, started killings at Rwankeri in Mukingo commune. The Interahamwe then moved to Busogo parish where they killed several Tutsis who had sought refuge there including the priests. He told the tribunal that as soon as they began surrounding the parish, Bizimungu arrived carrying petrol which the interahamwe were to use in setting ablaze the building to ensure that all Tutsis were dead. GBK testified that Bizimungu handed over four jerry cans of petrol in addition to 5000 Rwandan francs to the Interahamwe and then left. GKB further told the chamber that Bizimungu and Kajelijeli had at one time ordered him and other people to dump bodies of two Tutsis at a pit in Mukingo. He could not remember the exact time but he only mentioned that it was between 1993 and 1994. He said Bizimungu and Kajelijeli had summoned him from his shop which was on the roadside. They asked the witness and two other people to accompany them to a pit where bodies of the Tutsis were being dumped. He recalled that the two people were killed at Mukingo communal office. He continued that he had seen the victims earlier in Kajelijelis vehicle when they were still alive. When he inquired from Kajelijeli why the two people were chained together, the former mayor had answered that they were accomplices of RPF. The bodies of the two were supposedly ferried in Kajelijelis vehicle with Bizimungu following them in his own vehicle. When they reached the pit, Bizimungu allegedly ordered the witness and the other two people to throw these bodies into the pit. After that they were given 1000 Rwandan francs by Bizimungu. The trial continues on Wednesday with the examination in chief of GKB. The trial is before Trial Chamber Two of the ICTR where Judge Asoka de Zoyza Gunawardana (Sri Lanka) is presiding assisted by judges Lee Muthoga (Kenya) and Khalida Rashid Khan (Pakistan)PJ/KN/AT/FH (GVII1208e)