WESTERN PROVINCE

RUSIZI — The Military Court martial sitting in Rusizi district this Tuesday sentenced a soldier of the Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) to 9 years in prison over a rape charge.

Staff sergeant, Bartazar Akomundinda of the 511 brigade was found guilty of raping a 22-year old girl, names withheld, early March this year. The crime reportedly took place in Nkanka sector of Rusizi district.

While reading the verdict, the presiding judge who moved all the way from Kigali, to hear the case, said prosecution proved that Akomundinda had committed the alleged crime.

"According to the witnesses’ evidence …we as judges have found that Staff Sergeant Akomundinda Bartazar is guilty of having raped the 22-year old girl here in Nkanka and we have sentenced him to 9 years in prison,” the judge ruled.

Akomundinda was sentenced along with his fellow colleagues, Private Evariste Ugirincuti who was given two years imprisonment and Private Jean Baptista Musonera who got one and a half years.

The judge said that the duo (Musonera and Ugirincuti) were found to be accomplices in the case because they are the ones whom Akomundinda sent to bring the girl from Bushenge in Nyamasheke district.

In a separate interview, the judge said the judgement was aimed to act as a deterrent and to avoid the culture of impunity among soldiers.

Talking on condition of anonymity, the mother of the raped girl said she was very happy with the ruling.

"I was very satisfied with the ruling because those army men who raped my daughter deserved the sentences they were given. I thank our government for that because this shows that there is total justice in the country.”

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