24.09.09 - ICTR/HATEGIKIMANA - WITNESS CLAIMS COMMANDERS DID NOT CONSPIRE TO RAPE, KILL ETHNIC TUTSI

24 September 2009 By

Arusha, 24 September 2009 (FH) - A former soldier with the Rwandan Non-Commissioned Officers School (ESO), Thursday denied that the commanders of the neighboring military camps attended a meeting at the school where soldiers were later ordered to rape and kill Tutsi women on April 7, 1994, just a day after the death of the former Rwandan President, Juvenal Habyarimana.

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The witness, code-named ‘'BTN'' to conceal his identity, was testifying for the defence of the former Commander of Ngoma Military Camp in Butare prefecture, southern Rwanda, Idelphonse Hategekimana, who is facing charges of genocide, crimes against humanity and direct and public incitement to commit genocide, before the UN Tribunal.

The prosecution alleged, among other things, that commanders of the neighboring camps, including Tumba, Nyanza and that of Ngoma, attended the ESO meeting and thereafter issued orders to rape Tutsi women then to kill them.

‘'I did not see the Commander of Ngoma Camp,'' the witness responded to the Togolese lead defence counsel, Ahlonko Dovi, as he was leading the accused in the examination in-chief.

Most part of the evidence of the witness, the second for the defence in this session, was held behind closed doors.

When the trial was adjourned on July 13, the defence of Hategekimana had already fielded 12 witnesses out of the expected 25. The prosecution rested its case on May 4 after presenting 20 witnesses.

The trial continues.

NI/SC/GF