Ex-Rwandan minister gets life

The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), yesterday, sentenced former Rwanda Minister of Youth and Cooperative Movements, Callixte Nzabonimana, to life for his role in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

Friday, June 01, 2012

The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), yesterday, sentenced former Rwanda Minister of Youth and Cooperative Movements, Callixte Nzabonimana, to life for his role in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.Nzabonimana was convicted of instigating the killing of Tutsi who had sought refuge at the Nyabikenke commune office.According to a statement from ICTR, court found Nzabonimana responsible of directly and publicly inciting the killing of Tutsi at Butare trading centre in April 1994, at Cyayi centre and Murambi.The court also found him guilty of entering into two separate agreements to kill Tutsi in the former Gitarama prefecture.Nzabonimana entered into an agreement to kill Tutsi with members of the Interim Government on April 18, 1994, and entered into another agreement with Jean Damascene Ukurikiyeyezu to kill Tutsi in May 1994, court said.Nzabonimana was arrested on February 18, 2008 in Tanzania, and the trial commenced on November 9, 2009.His trial closed on September 12, 2011, and the Trial Chamber heard closing arguments from October 20 -21 last year.During the Genocide, Nzabonimana served as both the Minister of Youth and Associate Movements in the Interim Government and as the chairman of the MRND party in Gitarama préfecture.