The military tribunal on Thursday morning adjourned the trial involving 25 combatants of Rwanda National Congress (RNC) at the request of the suspects. The suspects, who were all present in court, requested for an adjournment of the pre-trial proceedings to be able to get lawyers, and acquaint themselves with the laws. They were appearing before the Nyamirambo-based court on the second consecutive day in a trial in which they each face four charges of forming and being part of an irregular armed group and conspiracy against an established government. Other charges are conspiring against an established government and maintaining relations with a foreign government. During the Thursday hearing, the military prosecution did not object to the request by the accused and gave them the options available to them including procuring the lawyers for those with the capacity to pay. According to the prosecutor, those who cannot afford have an option of writing to Rwanda Bar Association to ask for pro bono legal assistance provided under the bar. The judge instructed the court clerk to help the suspects draft the letters to the bar, since many had said they can neither read or writer, before adjourning the hearing to October 14. The suspects include foreign nationals – Ugandans, Burundians and one Malawian – and were all captured in combat in DR Congo during an operation by Congolese forces against foreign negative forces operating in the country. The combatants are part of ‘P5’ an outfit created out of a merger of different anti-Rwanda negative forces that include RNC and FDLR among others.
