09.01.07 - RWANDA/CHURCH - THE CATHOLIC CHURCH SUPPORTS FATHER WENCESLAS

Arusha, January 9 2007 (FH) - Father Wenceslas Munyeshyaka, who faces an international arrest warrant and who was recently condemned to life for his participation in the genocide by a Rwandan tribunal, has received the support of the French religious authorities, an interview published in the french weekly « Témoignage chrétien » reveals. « I trust him the way the diocese trusts him as long as a judge doesn’t decide against it », Mr. Michel Daubannes, vicar general of the diocese of Evreux, where the priest’s church is located, declares. Interrogated about tensions that have broken out in the parish the Rwandan priest belongs to, the religious leader adds: « The silent majority stands by Father Wenceslas». This priest, who was at the head of the Sainte Famille parish located at the center of Kigali in 1994, was on the list of persons wanted by Rwanda since 1995 and an international arrest warrant had been issued against him. A French bishop had protected him and helped him take refuge in France; charges had been brought against him and he had been released following a decision of the Court of Appeal. The investigation against him was resumed in 1998 after a decision of the Final Court of Appeal. An examining magistrate was supposed to go to Kigali at the beginning of the month. According to his hierarchical superior, this case « is reaching the sphere of national, even international, politics (…) everyone adds his own two cents and makes his best to aggravate the case ». Calling for the presumption of innocence, he states that the complaints against Wenceslas have been filed by persons close to the power in place and concludes: « human rights are really one thing that clearly differentiates us from Rwanda ». This interview, published in the insert of the « Temoignage Chrétien » of January 4th, is part of the weekly’s close investigation which retraces the context and history of the case. The author of the article notably reveals that the presence of the priest since 2001 in the parishes surrounding Gisors has led to the departure of several parishioners. PB/AT/MG © Hirondelle News Agency