Rwanda Welcomes Arrest of Ex-minister Charged with Genocide

The Rwanda government has welcomed the arrest of former minister Callixte Nzabonimana charged with genocide by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). Kigali said the arrest marks a landmark in the pursuit of justice for genocide victims.

“It is a welcome move. The fact that ICTR has managed to arrest him shows a lot of efforts put in by this court to bring all the culprits to justice,” Rwandan Justice Minister Tharcisse Karugarama told APA on Thursday.

He said the arrest of Nzabonimana brings hope that many other genocide suspects around the world would be brought to book anytime.

Nzabonimana, who served as minister of youth and sports in Rwanda’s interim government in 1994, was arrested on February 19 in the Tanzanian town of Kigoma and transferred to Arusha, the site of the United Nations war crimes tribunal set up to deal with the crimes of genocide committed in Rwanda.

Nzabonimana, 55, is facing six charges including counts of genocide, making direct and public incitements to commit genocide and conspiracy to commit genocide.

The indictment against the former minister said he conspired with others to devise a plan to exterminate Rwanda’s civilian Tutsi population and eliminate members of the political opposition.

A former member of the then ruling Mouvement Républicain National pour le Développement et la Démocratie (MNRD), Nzabonimana is jointly charged with six others - Augustin Bizimana, Edouard Karemera, Andre Rwamakuba, Mathieu Ngirumpatse, Joseph Nzirorera and Felicien Kabuga.

He has, however, pleaded not guilty to eleven counts of genocide, extermination, killings, violation of Geneva Conventions and rape during his initial appearance on Wednesday before the ICTR.

Source African Press Agency

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