Regional
Niger expels Genocide convicts transferred by UN Court
![image](webadmin/images/Genocide convict.jpg-20211228092113000000.jpg)
The men are widely considered to be among the masterminds of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi
The
Republic of Niger has expelled eight Rwandans who were transferred by the UN
Court which tried them for Genocide related crimes.
The
men were convicted of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi and had completed their
sentences or were acquitted.
According
to a statement released on December 27, 2021, the Niger Ministry of Interior
and Decentralization ordered the men to leave the country within seven days.
The
ex-convicts are Protais Zigiranyirazo, Francois Nzuwonemeye, Innocent
Sagahutu, Alphonse Nteziryayo, Tharcisse Muvunyi, André Ntagerura, Anatole Nsengiyumva
and Prosper Mugiraneza.
The
men are widely considered to be among the masterminds of the 1994 Genocide
against the Tutsi.
After
the conclusion of their cases, they remained in Arusha, Tanzania where the UN
court was based.
The
expulsion comes after an inquiry made by the government of Rwanda to the UN Mechanism
for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT) seeking clarification about
circumstances under which the eight were transferred to Niger.
While
addressing a UN Security Council meeting in New York in early December,
Valentine Rugwabiza, Rwanda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations,
said that Rwanda had not been informed by either the MICT or the host country
about the transfer of these Rwandan nationals.
She
then pointed out that there is evidence that some of these individuals, after
their acquittal by the former ICTR, have been engaging in subversive activities
that contributed to the insecurity and instability of the Great Lakes Region
for the past decades.
The
individuals in question had for long been stuck in Arusha, the former seat of
the ICTR, after many countries had refused to take them in, including those
hosting their families.
However,
Rwanda previously said they may come back home to their country if they so
wish.
Who
are the ex-convicts?
Zigiranyirazo
is the brother-in-law of former President Juvenal Habyarimana and was a very
influential member of ‘Akazu’ group was
acquitted in 2009.
Nzuwonemeye
and Sagahutu were the commander and second in command of Reconnaissance
Battalion respectively, were both
accused of genocide charges and murder against humanity including the
murder of then prime minister Agathe Uwilingyimana. Nzuwonemeye was acquitted
and Sagahutu’s sentence was downgraded from 20 to 15 years.
Nteziryayo,
the former Prefect of Butare was accused of training, and arming the militia,
and mobilizing the population in his prefecture to murder the Tutsi, his
sentence was as well reduced to 25 years in prison after appeal.
Muvunyi,
in 2010, was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for genocide,
direct and public incitement to commit genocide and other inhumane acts.
Ntagerura,
the former transport minister, accused of genocide and crimes against humanity
was also acquitted in 2004.
Nsengiyumva,
the former army commander in Gisenyi in April 1994, whose sentence was
downgraded to 15 years in 2011 when he was 61 years old, walked out freely
as deemed
to have already served the necessary time in prison.
Prosper
Mugiraneza, ex-public service minister, was initially convicted for conspiracy
to commit genocide and given a 30-year sentence until he was acquitted in 2013.
Some
of the ICTR acquitted have found host countries like Former mayors Ignace
Bagilishema and Jean Mpambara who live in France, former Minister of Education
André Rwamakuba who lives in Switzerland, and former préfet Emmanuel Bagambiki
living in Belgium, among others.
Source:
www.newtimes.co.rw