NZIRORERA ASKED INTERAHAMWE TO KILL A CHILD

Arusha, March 31, 2004 (FH) –A prosecution witness in the trial of four former top Rwandan officials on Wednesday told the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) that former MRND Secretary-general Joseph Nzirorera, one of the accused in this trial, asked Interahamwe militia to kill the child of a Tutsi woman at Busogo secteur in Ruhengeri Prefecture in April 1994. Nzirorera is jointly accused with the president of the former ruling party, the MRND, Mathieu Ngirumpatse, his vice president Edouard Karemera, and the former minister of primary and secondary education, André Rwamakuba.

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The ninth witness testifying for the second day was a member of the Interahamwe in Mukingo commune, Ruhengeri Prefecture. The witness identified as GFA said he was informed by another Interahamwe called Michel Migabo that Nzirorera had given orders that the boy had to die. “He (Migabo) told me he had just spoken to Nzirorera on the phone and that the child must be killed. After he said that, we went and killed him,” GFA said. He did not state the exact date when the incident took place. The witness added that he heard that the boy whose mother was a Tutsi was Nzirorera's child. He only gave the name of the mother as Kiberwa from Busogo secteur. GFA testified further that the Interahamwe in Mukingo respected Nzirorera very much because he was their leader. The chamber went into closed session before it adjourned so that it could hear evidence on rapes committed by Interahamwe in Busogo. The prosecutor asked that the evidence be heard behind closed doors for security reasons. GFA will continue testifying on Thursday. Government One trial is taking place in Trial Chamber Three of the ICTR composed of Judge Andresia Vaz from Senegal, (presiding) and ad litem judges Flavia Lattanzi from Italy and Florence Rita Arrey from Cameroon. PJ/CE/FH (GVI''0331e)