Hirondelle News Agency (Lausanne)
19 September 2008
Arusha — After nearly ten months since the last sentence was delivered, the International Criminal for Rwanda (ICTR) has announced that its 36th judgement in the trial of 1994 genocide-accused a former Rwandan Deputy Prosecutor, Simeon Nshamihigo, will be rendered on 24 September. The judgement was earlier scheduled for 19 September.
The last judgement to be delivered was on Francois Karera, former Governor of Kigali, on 7 December, 2007, who was sentenced to remainder of his life. The ICTR has so far convicted 30 and acquitted five persons since its was set by the UN Security Council in November, 1994.
The prosecution and defence concluded their closing arguments in the 48-year-old Nshamihigo case in mid-January. Nshamihigo, who has been on trial since 25 September 2006, is accused of having organized massacres of Tutsis in Cyangugu, in south-western Rwanda, his native region. He has pleaded not guilty.
Meanwhile, a Belgium missionary, who worked in Rwanda leading upto the period of the 1994 killings, began Thursday his testimony in the defence of genocide accused Elie Ndayambaje, former Mayor of Muganza Commune, Butare Prefecture, southern Rwanda. Ndayambaje is jointly charged with five others for genocide and crimes against humanity in the largest and the longest before the ICTR popularly referred as "Butare Trial". All six have pleaded not guilty.
The 24thwitness, Constant Julius Goetschalckx alias Brother Stan claimed that he saw about 200 corpses inside the Mugombwa Church in Muganza Commune, Butare Prefecture, and how he helped with the assistance of some Burundi student refugees to bury the dead during the peak of the slaughter. He also saw another 200 dead near the road leading to the church and around the church. His cross-examination begins Monday.
The Trial Chamber II on Tuesday was once again compelled to adjourn hearings because of lack of witnesses. The hearing of the defence case of the former Commander of the Rwandan Reconnaissance Battalion, Major Francois-Xavier Nzuwonemeye, is expected to resume Monday with the 24th defence witness.
On Wednesday the Trial Chamber 1 concluded hearing the last defence witness for the former Rector of Christ the King College in Rwanda, Father Hormisdas Nsengima who is facing charges of genocide and crimes against humanity.
A total of 24 witnesses were called for the defence of the Catholic priest where as prosecution presented 19 witnesses. Presiding Judge Eric Mose from Norway adjourned the trial till November 20, 2008 when parties are expected to submit their closing arguments.
A prosecution witness in the trial against the former senior Rwandan army officer, Lieutenant Colonel, Ephrem Setako, Tuesday alleged before the UN Court that the accused ordered soldiers and civil defense members to hunt and kill ethnic Tutsis and their accomplices in April 25, 1994. However, the trial had to be adjouned to Thursday to allow testimony of an expert witness in the trial of Father Nsengimana via a video-link from Nairobi, Kenya.
The Setako case continues Monday with three witnesses.
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