Former PM Jean Kmbanda supplying the arms to Interahamwe during the Genocide
Former Prime Minister during the Abatabazi government who is serving life sentence over the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi crimes this week appeared before the Paris Court of Assizes to testify on the side of prosecution in the Genocide case of Dr. Eugene Rwamucyo.
Director of Public health department in Butare during the Genocide, Rwamucyo is accused of five charges embodied in Genocide, conspiracy to commit the genocide and conspiracy to commit crimes against humanity(other than the genocide) and crimes against humanity(other than the genocide).
Kambanda who pleaded guilty on Genocide crimes appeared on video conference from prison in Senegal, and, with so much boldness, he presented himself as a ‘UN political prisoner’ who still does not recognize his conviction.
Without hesitating, Kambanda portrayed the suspect as “ a courageous man who did his job and loved the people”.
Prosecution in previous audiences, indicated that Rwamucyo, was a close friend to Kambanda, and the cabinet members hailing from Butare, and those include Pauline Nyiramasuhuko, then minister of family who is serving jail sentence over genocide crimes, including rape.
Kambanda went ahead to allege that the suspect is “innocent”, and when he was asked to tell the situation of the country between April 6-July 4, he dwelt on the crash of President Habyarimana’s plane, which he blamed on Rwanda’s liberator at the helm of Rwanda Patriotic Army (RPA) Inkotanyi and then Romeo Dallaire who was the commander of UN Peacekeepers in Rwanda.
The witness was given the floor and he gave his version of events at a brisk pace, barely taking a breath, but with a certain
relish.
Among others, Kambanda admitted knowing the dismissal of BUTARE prefect Jean-Bapiste HABYARIMANA. He alleged that he had indeed been kidnapped and taken to GITARAMA, but that he had asked the Minister of justice to have him released.
“It was when he returned to BUTARE, free, that he was murdered!” Kmabanda said. Several witnesses in many trials accused Kambanda’s government to have removed Prefect Habyarimana and to kill him, simply because he had opposed the massacre of the Tutsi.
Kambanda gave his interpretation of President SINDIKUBWABO’s speech at the inauguration of the
new prefect, Sylvain NSABIMANA: ‘going to work’.
He said it meant that “people had to return to their fields to avoid starvation. Radio Rwanda would not have broadcast this speech, “stolen by the RPF” and given to Radio MUHABURA, which had given its own interpretation.”
Contrary to this claim, several witnesses in many trials indicated that the incendiary speech of President Sindikubwabo on April 19,1994 incited the extremist hutus and interahamwe militia to start killing the Tutsi. There was no massacre in Butare until he made this speech, calling the people of the South’lazy.’
Kambanda said that he failed to defend his country, against RPF rebels, “because there were so many divisions and enemies around him.”
He however admitted: “I was not trained in politics.”
Meanwhile, Kambanda admitted that there were incendiary speeches in Rwanda, but said, there were also good speeches.
“You’re talking about Léon MUGESERA’s speech at KABAYA, the Ten Commandments of the Bahutu, you’re telling me that there were no positive speeches! You don’t know anything about it.I’m the one who intervened to help these “accomplices”. I was against their arrest,” Kambanda claimed without producing some examples of ‘good speeches.’
On why he defends Rwamucyo, Kambanda claimed; ” I’ve seen him in action. I saw him in GOMA, in the camps, helping people, as his duty demanded. He worked with the Red Cross: we gathered corpses and in their midst were the living. He’s someone who loves his country, his people ”, and he adds: ” I’m a Christian!”
Among allegations brought against Rwamucyo is included the fact that he supervised interahamwe burrying the Tutsi victims in mass graves, but witnesses said, he used to bury even those who were still alive.
