French Court to Hold First Rwandan Genocide Trial
Paris-- A French court has ordered trial of a former Rwandan army official over the country’s 1994 genocide, in the landmark case in which the genocide suspects have been tried in a foreign court.
Pascal Simbikangwa a former Rwandan army captain will face charges of Complicity in Genocide and complicity in crimes against humanity in France, under the new unit set up in 2010 to try cases of genocide and crimes against humanity involving suspects detained in the country.
The former intelligence officer was arrested on the French island of Mayotte in 2008, under an international arrest warrant for his alleged involvement in the genocide.
Some 800,000 people mostly ethnic Tutsis and politically moderate Hutus were killed in 1994 within 100 days of mass slaughter carried out primarily by Hutu supremacist militia groups under patronage of Rwanda’s Hutu government and army.
Simbikangwa’s trial follows Friday’s order by two investigating magistrates from the unit after a request from the prosecutors in early March. He is facing trial in France under a complaint filed by the Collective of Civil Plaintiffs for Rwanda.
Simbikangwa, is accused of being a member of the Akazu, the informal Hutu extremist group believed to have planned and implemented the genocide. As a former member of Rwanda’s presidential guard, he is accused of arming the Interahamwe Hutu militia brainwashed by the “Hutu Power” ideology.
France has previously refused to extradite genocide suspects to Rwanda, over fear they would be denied a fair trial, but has sent some to Tanzania to face trial at the International Criminal Tribunal (ICTR) for Rwanda.
Kigali abolished the death penalty in 2007 and has committed to ensuring that indictees sent back home for trial will be treated according to international standards.
The ICTR for Rwanda, located in Arusha, Tanzania, began proceedings in 1996 and as by 2012, the Tribunal has completed 35 trials and convicted 29 persons guilty of war crimes, acts of genocide, rape, and the creation of hate media.
Eight trials are currently in progress, while another 10 criminals remain at large, mostly presumed dead.
Bangui, Central African Republic
Ousted CAR Leader Accuses Chad of Aiding Rebels
Deposed Central African Republic leader Francois Bozize has accused neighbouring Chad of helping the rebel coalition that overthrew his government last week.
Bozize who is seeking asylum in Congo, Libreville fled the CAR capital Bangui after fighters of the Seleka coalition stormed the presidential palace on March 23, accusing him of failing to implement the terms of a January peace deal.
Now he accuses the neighbouring Chad for backing the rebel forces in their eventual capture of Bangui.
On Saturday March 23 we had destroyed Seleka forces but overnight into Sunday 24, we knew that there had been support from an African country, which I inevitably believe was Chad," Bozize said in an interview with BBC Africa.
President Bozize claims “it was Chadian special forces that had led the operation” on the Sunday morning attack on a base of South African troops stationed in Bangui, where 13 of them were killed in the clashes with the rebels.
The ousted leader said his country had solid brotherly relations with Chad and was “surprised at their behaviour.”
"Only Chadian authorities can give us an explanation," he said.
His sentiments are shared with those of a recent report from the International Crisis Group which also cast doubt on the nature of relations between Chad and the rebels.
"Chad's position in the conflict is at the very least ambiguous and the Chadian administration is suspected of having dubious relations with the Seleka," it said.
Meanwhile a summit of the Economic Community Of Central African States (ECCAS) is holding an emergency meeting on Wednesday in the Chadian capital N'Djamena, to discuss the situation in CAR.
Bozize say he had requested, but refused to attend the meeting which CAR will be represented by Seleka leader Michel Djotodia, and his Prime Minister Nicolas Tiangaye.
The coup leads up an initial rebellion in December where the insurgents almost took over the capital after accusing Mr Bozize of failing to honour the peace deal that would give fighters cash and jobs in exchange of laying down their arms.
Chad proved a powerful ally to Bozize during his decade in power, helping him mount a coup in 2003 and fight against rebellions in the north of chronically unstable Central African Republic seven years later.