A Belgian court on Thursday, June 6, found Emmanuel Nkunduwimye guilty of involvement in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, primarily in the city of Kigali.
The 65-year-old was immediately placed under arrest following his conviction. Nkunduwimye faced three charges: genocide crimes, crimes against humanity, and rape of women during the genocide. The Brussels Court of Assizes is expected to sentence him on June 10.
His trial, which commenced on April 8, had numerous witnesses who testified against him.
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A former resident of Cyahafi Sector, in current Gitega Sector, recounted the tragic events of April 14, 1994. He testified seeing George Rutaganda, the vice-president of the national committee of Interahamwe militia, along with Nkunduwimye, distributing guns to Interahamwe and instructing them to kill the Tutsi.
He added that Rutaganda and Nkunduwimye assured the militia of continued support, providing them with cigarettes and more weapons.
The witness described the horror his family endured, leading to their deaths, and stated that the victims were buried in pits dug under a garage called AMGAR, co-owned by Nkunduwimye and Jean Marie Vianney Mudaheranwa, alias Zuzu, and Jean Bosco Mutaganzwa.
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Rutaganda operated a beverage store, 'Canned Heineken and Carlsberg,' in the same compound as the garage. The witness also noted that his two sisters were raped and killed by Interahamwe in that garage, under the instructions of Rutaganda and Nkunduwimye.
A 48-year-old woman testified that she was 18 years old during the genocide. She recalled seeing Nkunduwimye in military uniform, appearing pleased with the murders of the Tutsi and discussing the details of their deaths. Other witnesses testified that Nkunduwimye charged some Tutsi families money to help them escape.
Nkunduwimye fled Rwanda in 1995, heading to Kenya. He later relocated to Belgium in 1998, where he obtained refugee status in 2003 and citizenship in 2005.
He was known to be a close friend of Rutaganda, one of the first people convicted by the now-defunct International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR).
Throughout the genocide, Nkunduwimye was often seen in military attire and armed, frequently accompanying Rutaganda and Interahamwe leader Robert Kajuga. Ephrem Nkezabera, a former convicted militia official, alleged that Nkunduwimye was a member of the national committee of Interahamwe, though not officially listed as he had no formal role.
