The story behind the 1994 massacres in the South Rwanda village of Gikonko began unfolding on Thursday as judges began pronouncing judgments in a historical genocide trial. The joint trial, the biggest in the country since the end of the genocide nine years ago, brings together 142 accused.

In an overcrowded makeshift courtroom, some fifty yards away from a genocide memorial for Gikonko victims, hundreds of residents sat listening as judges pronounced the judgments one after another. The otherwise silent audience occasionally murmured and whispered as certain events or accused were mentioned by the judges. The crowd was a mix of genocide survivors and families related to the accused.

On their side of the courtroom, the detainees, dressed in custom pink shirts and shorts largely remained emotionless even as some of them were acquitted or convicted in a category automatically punishable by death.

By press time, 51 judgments had been read over a period of about four hours. Of the 51 persons, 28 have pleaded guilty. 19 were found guilty by the judges. Four have been acquitted. Sentences will be announced after all the 142 suspects have received their judgments.

He started the killings here. He manned a roadblock in front of his house from where Tutsis and other people opposed to the government were singled out and executed, the presiding judge said of one Athanase Nkurikiyimfura. He therefore falls under Category One and will be punished according, he added shortly afterwards.

Genocide suspects in Rwanda are categorized in four levels depending on the crimes allegedly committed and the social or political influence held by the accused at the time of the genocide. Convicts falling under Category One, the highest level, are automatically given the death penalty.

Judges read out confessions of some of the accused admitting to crimes ranging from multiple murders, rape to looting. He confessed to having killed an unidentified young Tutsi boy by striking his head with a nail studded club, a judge said of one of the accused.

The list of the accused men and women awaiting judgment in the courtroom reads more or less like what could have been the who is whoof the village at the time of the genocide. It includes teachers, local police chiefs, senior local political leaders, a pastor, important traders, farmers, youth leaders and many more.

I will hopefully go home with a slightly better feeling today, 56-year-old genocide survivor Kagabo Stanislas told Hirondelle of his eagerness to hear the judgements. He said that he has been waiting for this day since the start of the trial two years ago. He accuses one of the suspects on trial of murdering his wife and four children.

An estimated One million Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. Some 100,000 suspects are awaiting trial for crimes related to the genocide. Slightly over 6,000 cases have so far been completed.