A Belgian court on Monday, June 10, sentenced Emmanuel Nkunduwimye alias Bomboko, to 25 years in jail for his role in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. The development comes after the 65-year-old was found guilty of genocide crimes earlier on June 6 and placed under arrest following his conviction.
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The crimes in question were primarily committed in Kigali. Nkunduwimye faced three charges: genocide crimes, crimes against humanity, and rape of women during the genocide. 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.
Due to the gravity of the crimes he committed, the 25-year jail term handed to him was as a result of some mitigating circumstances including his cooperation with the court during the trial process as well the fact that he is advancing in age.
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He 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.
His trial, which commenced on April 8, had numerous witnesses who testified against him. One of such witnesses was 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.
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.