KIGALI - A former journalist was on Wednesday pinned by witnesses during a Gacaca court session in Kimisagara sector, Nyarugenge district for his role in inciting killings of Tutsis during the 1994 Genocide.

According to witnesses, Bernard Mukingo, the proprietor of the vernacular publication, Kamarampaka and a correspondent of the extremist Radio Television Libre des Mille Collines (RTLM), used his publication and the radio station to call for the wiping out of Tutsis.

The court heard that in issue number 21 of Kamarampaka, Mukingo wrote that ‘Hutus are going to be wiped out from the face of the earth if they do not kill Tutsis when it’s still early”.

Speaking to The New Times, genocide scholar Tom Ndahiro confirmed this saying that Mukingo’s publications in 1993 incited Hutus to kill Tutsis.

Mukingo denied all the accusations saying that he did not write any article that influenced genocide against the Tutsi.

"I did not publish articles that incited the mass murders of the Tutsis, I instead wrote articles that criticised the killing of the Tutsis,” he said.

According to one eye witness who preferred anonymity, Mukigo used to stage roadblocks with his colleagues in 1994 demanding identification cards from passersby, and those found out to be Tutsi were killed.

In his defence, Mukingo said that he rescued several Tutsis from the hands of the Hutu militias. The hearing of the case was adjourned to Sunday.

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