HUYE - A Military tribunal sitting in the district yesterday adjourned the trial of Cyriaque Habyarabatuma, the former commander of Gendarmerie in the former Butare Prefecture who is charged with various counts of Genocide committed in the Province in 1994.

Habyarabatuma, who was an Assistant Commissioner of Police in the Rwanda National Police, was arrested in February 2004 and detained at Butare central prison following numerous testimonies from Genocide survivors attesting to his role in the Genocide.

According to Military prosecution, Habyarabatuma was one of the key planners of Genocide in Butare prefecture. He allegedly sent gendarmes in several parts of the prefecture with a mission to kill Tutsis.

"Habyarabatuma supervised killings in Butare, he was also a key figure in the arrest and torture of suspected Rwanda Patriotic Front collaborators in Butare, many were killed,” said a source from the Military prosecution.

Habyarabatuma, who held the rank of Major at the time, is alleged to have trained a Burundian Interahamwe group that committed Genocide in Nyaruteja and Kibayi, all in the prefecture.

Prosecution also alleges that he is responsible for the killings in Butare town, at the National University of Rwanda and the suburbs of Tumba, Sahela, and in the areas of Matyazo, Karama, Runyinya and Maraba.

During the trial that began on January 12, court heard testimonies from several prosecution witnesses.

The Military tribunal presided over by Major Chance Ndagano, has set March 1 as the date when the trial will resume.

Ends