UNRIC MAGAZINE July Edition 2009

Issue No. 32, July 2009
Text size
  • Increase font size
  • Default font size
  • Decrease font size
Home International Justice Rwandan ex-minister found guilty of genocide sentenced to 30 years

Rwandan ex-minister found guilty of genocide sentenced to 30 years

E-mail Print PDF
The United Nations tribunal set up to deal with the mass killings that engulfed Rwanda in 1994 has found a former Government minister guilty of genocide and sentenced him to 30 years in prison. April 1994 saw the beginning of a slaughter in the East African country in which more than 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and Hutu moderates died, mostly by machete, during a period of less than 100 days.

The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in Arusha said on 22 June that on 23 April 1994, Callixte Kalimanzira, former Acting Minister of Interior, lured thousands of Tutsi refugees to Kabuye hill in Butare prefecture, where they were attacked and killed.

The Tribunal's Trial Chamber found that Mr. Kalimanzira substantially contributed to the overall attack, finding him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt that he aided and abetted genocide at Kabuye hill.

Further, it said that the defendant was guilty of direct and public incitement to commit genocide on several occasions, including at the Nyabisagara football field, in April 1994.

Mr. Kalimanzira, the ICTR said, used his prominent status in Butare as well as his position in the Interior Ministry to get others to follow his example.  "Most significantly by encouraging Tutsi refugees to gather at Kabuye hill where he knew they would be killed in the thousands, he abused the public's trust that he, like other officials, would protect them," the Tribunal said in a press release.

The former official surrendered voluntarily to the Arusha, Tanzania-based ICTR in November 2005 and his trial began last May.

 

 

Quote of the month

" Better, But Not Good Enough"

Olivier de Schutter, UN's Special Rapporteur on right to food on the G8 decision to increase agricultural aid

F.U.N.

F.U.N.F.U.N was born when a friend asked how he can help the United Nations? "What does the UN need most" he asked? Friends are what the UN needs most, was our answer, and it just happens to spell F.U.N.
Read more...

 

3 Questions to...

Press Conference with Olivier de Schutter, Brussels, 11 June 2009...

 

In Focus

UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

 

Cartooning for Peace

  ...

 

Back in Time

UNRWA at 60