Catholic Information Service for Africa (Nairobi)
29 October 2008
Kigali — Two army officers have been found guilty of the murder of ten priests and three bishops in June 1994.
A military court in Kigali sentenced Captains John Butera and Dieudonné Rukeba to eight years in prison each on Friday, but acquitted General Wilson Gumisiriza and Major Wilson Ukwishaka.
The Rwandan Catholic Church, which has been following the trial through its justice and peace commission, has not reacted to the ruling.
"We will await until it submits a report to us so that we have a concerted reaction within the episcopal conference", Bishop Servilien Nzakamwita of Byumba in northern Rwanda and interim president of the commission, told Hirondelle news agency on Monday.
The defence teams are satisfied over the ruling. "I am satisfied with the judgment, for my client and for the others", stated Charles Shema Gakuba, lawyer for Captain Butera. He said that he was, however, ready to support his client if the latter feels the need to appeal.
For his part, the military prosecutor, Captain Kayijuka Ngabo, has yet not decided on the reaction to last Friday's judgment. "I am still thinking", he said. He had requested life imprisonment against the general and the major and had asked for 15 years in prison against the two captains.
"The conclusion of this trial was made to wait, with many questions. The proceedings proved that we wanted to give a fair trial. I believe that the judgment is right", an officer of the Rwandan army said.
The four officers were arrested on 11 June, after, according to the Rwandan army, joint investigations of the Rwandan general prosecutor and the prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR).
They were, at the time of committing the murders, members of the armed wing of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), the former rebel movement currently in power.
Among the victims were the archbishop of Kigali, Vincent Nsengiyumva, the bishop of Byumba in northern Rwanda Joseph Ruzindana and the bishop of Kabgayi, Thaddée Nsengiyumva, then president of the bishops' conference.
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