Gacaca acquits nun of Genocide charges

RWAMAGANA- Yesterday the Munyaga Gacaca Court, in the Rwamagana District, acquitted Immaculee Umuzayire a nun of Genocide charges. Umuzayire, was accused of orchestrating the death of Zefaniya Butera who was allegedly killed at Munyaga Health Centre. She was also accused of ordering militias to torture victims. Complainants alleged that the nun ordered the militias to dump Butera alive into a pit latrine. However, defence witnesses said Umuzayire actually did a lot of humanitarian work, including offering transport to the injured. “I went with Immaculee to Rwamagana, where we were given three soldiers to maintain security of the people who had taken refuge in Munyanga,” said a witness, only identified as Bikorimana, who was Chief of Munyaga sector then. After listening to evidence from both sides, the court ruled that there was insufficient evidence to prove her guilty. “We hence declare her free,” Jean Ndagijimana, the court president announced. The verdict however, attracted criticism and the complainants vowed to appeal. “It is imaginable! This nun was reported by her houseboy who knew her day to day activities. She is the one who ordered the deceased to be thrown into a pit latrine alive. Here today, the court says she is innocent just because she brought friends and relatives as her witnesses,” one man only identified as Gakwerere said angrily. He claimed that he had been approached by friends to stop pursuing the case but had refused. The area Gacaca coordinator, Jean Claude Furaha reiterated that those not satisfied with the verdict were free to appeal. There are 60 Genocide related cases remaining to be disposed of in the area. Ends