Huye: Case of woman suspected of concealing Genocide-related information goes to court

A case involving Marie Providence Ntirushwamaboko, who was arrested on suspicion of withholding information about the whereabouts of remains of 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi victims in Ngoma Sector, Huye District, has been referred to court, The New Times has learnt. ALSO READ: Huye: Remains of 258 Genocide victims found in properties linked to perpetrators The case against Ntirushwamaboko is related to the discovery of remains of hundreds of victims of the Genocide against the Tutsi found in properties linked to Genocide perpetrators in Ngoma Sector. The file had been sent to Prosecution on April 1. It was submitted to Ngoma Primary Court on April 4, with prosecutors requesting a hearing on preventive detention of the suspect, Faustin Nkusi, the spokesperson for the National Public Prosecution Authority (NPPA), told The New Times on Wednesday. As of April 8, Theodate Siboyintore, a representative of Ibuka in Huye District, reported that the remains of 347 genocide victims had been recovered from properties once owned by perpetrators or their relatives, as well as from public areas. ALSO READ: Details emerge for 141 genocide victims’ bodies discovered under house Marie Providence Ntirushwamaboko is the wife of Callixte Kanamugire, who was tried and convicted in absentia by four different Gacaca courts. One of these courts, located in Matyazo, sentenced him to life in prison after finding him guilty of genocide crimes. Additional sentences were handed down by courts in Gishamvu (19 years), Ngoma (15 years), and Butare (15 years). It is believed that Kanamugire fled to either Kenya or Uganda. During the Genocide, Kanamugire is reported to have stockpiled machetes at his home, which were distributed to the Interahamwe militia to kill Tutsi who had sought refuge at the Ngoma Catholic Parish and others who had escaped gunfire near the Matyazo Health Centre. ALSO READ: Kwibuka: The ongoing struggle to locate Genocide victims’ bodies This year, exhumation efforts began in late March in Matyazo Cell, Kamucuzi Village, where four bodies were recovered from a pit latrine. The search continued on the land previously owned by Sarah Kimandwa, where more than 170 bodies were discovered in various locations, including the family compound and latrine sites. Testimonies revealed that Kimandwa's grandchildren were members of the Interahamwe militia and participated in the killings of Tutsi and dumping the victims' bodies on the land. Kimandwa's property was later sold to another resident in the 2000s. Further investigation led to a search of a property in Rurenda Village, owned by Callixte Kanamugire, where additional bodies were discovered. “Among the 347 remains found so far, 125 were discovered on the property of Callixte Kanamugire, alias Super, who was tried in absentia and convicted of genocide crimes by Gacaca courts. The other remains were found based on information provided by residents, in public areas such as infrastructure sites,” explained Siboyintore. ALSO READ: 10 arrested on suspicion of withholding information on Genocide victims In 2024, more than 2,000 bodies of genocide victims were discovered beneath a house and farmland in Ngoma Sector. These bodies were given a dignified burial during the 30th commemoration of the Genocide in April last year. “Last year, many bodies were found on the property of a resident named Hishamunda, which led others to share information about additional locations. However, we first had to analyze the information and gather evidence,” Siboyintore, thea Ibuka representative said. Testimonies indicate that the area was inhabited by soldiers from the former Rwandan army (FAR), including two who are said to have committed genocide crimes. One of them, the son of Hishamunda, is currently serving a sentence in Huye Correctional Facility after pleading guilty to genocide crimes. Despite his confession, he has not disclosed the locations of the victims' remains, which were dumped in mass graves at his home. In 2023, seven suspects were arrested for concealing information related to the whereabouts of genocide victims' remains. Concealing information about genocide remains is punished according to the 2018 law on the Crime of Genocide Ideology and Related Crimes. The law prohibits any actions that are aimed at denying, undermining, or trivializing the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Any person found guilty of the crime is liable to imprisonment for a term of five to seven years, and a fine ranging between Rwf500,000 andRwf1,000,000.

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Huye: Case of woman suspected of concealing Genocide-related information goes to court