11.11.09 - ICTR/GATETE - ‘EX-RWANDAN DIRECTOR'S SPEECH PROVOKED KILLINGS AGAINST TUTSIS'

11 November 2009 By

Arusha, November 11, 2009 (FH) - A prosecution witness in the trial against the former Rwandan Director in the Ministry of Family and Women Affairs, Jean Baptiste Gatete, Wednesday alleged before the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) that the accused's speech made a day after the death of President Juvenal Habyarimana provoked killings against many ethnic Tutsis in Kibungo prefecture, eastern Rwanda.

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According to the 17th prosecution witness dubbed ‘'BBR ‘'to protect his identity, the defendant came in a vehicle escorted by Interahamwe militiamen and gave a ten minutes' provocative speech at Rwankuba sector on April 7, 1994.

‘'There is no other work to do now apart from killing ethnic Tutsis,'' recalled part of the speech allegedly made by the defendant. Shortly the search and killings of Tutsis began.

Led in examination-in-chief by Rwandan prosecution counsel Didace Nyirinkwaya, the witness told the Chamber that the assailants including Interahamwe militiamen, soldiers, Hutu civilians and communal police killed about 30 people on that occasion, ten out of them being his relatives.

Gatete is facing charges of genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide, incitement to commit genocide and crimes against humanity to which he has claimed innocence.

The prosecution case which started on October 20 continues on Thursday.

NI/SC/GF