27.03.07 - BELGIUM/GENOCIDE - BERNARD NTUYAHAGA'S INDICTMENT MADE PUBLIC

Brussels, March 27, 2007 (FH) – The Belgian federal prosecutor has just made public the indictment against Major Bernard Ntuyahaga, whose trial will start April 19 before the Brussels Court of Assise. The Rwandan officer, aged 55 years, was responsible in 1994 for logistics in the military camp of Kigali. He is accused as the planner or co-planner of numerous “crimes of international humanitarian law and attempted crimes of international humanitarian law” according to the terminology of Belgian law called “universal jurisdiction” whose last draft dates from August 5, 2003. He will first answer, before the judges, on the assassination on April 7, 1994 in the Kigali camp, of ten Blue Helmets in charge that day of escorting Prime Minister Agathe Uwilingiyimana from her residence in the ministerial quarter of Kyovu to the national radio station Radio Rwanda. These ten Blue Helmets (Bruno Bassinne, Alain Debatty, Christophe Dupont, Yannick Leroy, Stéphane Lhoir, Thierry Lotin, Bruno Meaux, Louis Plescia, Christophe Renwa and Marc Uyttebroeck) were part of the Belgian contingent KIBAT II of the UNAMIR (United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda). He will also respond to the assassination, on the same day, of Prime Minister Agathe Uwilingiyimana. He is also accused of murders between April 6 and April 12, of Emmanuel Nkundabagenzi and Justin Niyongira, both members of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), and members of their families; Antoine Ntashamaje, magistrate and former minister, and members of his family; as well as Claire Kayitesi and Solange Uwizeye. The indictment also alleges other assassinations in the prefectures of Kigali (between April 6 and June 6, 1994) and Butare (between June 6 and July 5) – where Bernard Ntuyahaga was named as commandant of the Ngoma military camp – of an “indeterminate number of currently unidentified persons.” Bernard Ntuyahaga is finally accused of the attempted assignations in Kigali of Anastase Murumba, Richard Nizeyimana and Claire Uwimana. The former RAF (Rwandan armed forces) major has continued to deny his responsibility in these assassinations. He first came to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in Arusha which released him after the Prosecutor withdrew the indictment issued against him. He was immediately arrested by Tanzanian authorities for immigration violations. Rwanda and Belgium then asked for his extradition. These requests were rejected. Ntuyahaga voluntarily surrendered himself to Belgian authorities. This is the third trial connected to genocide which has taken place in Belgium after 2001, called the “Butare Four,” and 2005 concerning two businessmen from the Kibungo region. BF/PB/KD © Hirondelle News Agency