THE trial of Gregoire Ndahimana, the former Mayor of Kivumu Commune, now in the Western Province, begun early this week at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), with a prosecution witness testifying that Ndahimana blew the first whistle that sparked off massive killings in Kivumu.

In  its  opening  statement  the  Prosecution said that it will introduce  evidence  to  prove  that  Ndahimana  is  liable  as a principal offender  in  planning,  instigating,  ordering,  aiding  and  abetting the killings  that took place in Nyange parish where Tutsi refugees had gathered between 6 and 20 April 1994.

According to agencies, one of the prosecution witnesses code named CBT, to protect his identity, said that he saw Ndahimana taking a gun from a soldier and shooting at the church tower to signal to assailants to start the killing spree.

He said that immediately after this, the attackers killed the refugees using traditional weapons and grenades.

The witness, who was imprisoned for eight years after pleading guilty of taking part in the massacre before a Gacaca court, admitted before the tribunal that he was among persons who attacked and killed the Tutsi at Nyange Parish on April 15, 1994.

"On arrival, I found all communal leaders giving instructions. Ndahimana was also present. He was addressing his subordinates. He was angry and furious,” the witness said.
Ndahimana is charged with four counts that include; Genocide, or in the alternative, complicity in Genocide, conspiracy to commit Genocide and extermination as a crime against humanity.

The 58-year old Genocide suspect was arrested in August last year at Kachuga Camp in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

He was transferred to the United Nations Detention Facility in Arusha on August 21, 2009.

The suspect made his initial appearance on September 28, 2009 and pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

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