Second Genocide suspect arrested on Mayotte Island

FRANCE - Another Genocide suspect sought in connection with the killings in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, has been arrested in the French territory of Mayotte, media agencies have reported. Octavien Ngenzi, 56, is the second suspect to be nabbed in the Indian Ocean Island. In 2008, another suspected Genocidaire, Capt. Pascal Simbikangwa, was arrested there. “Ngenzi’s indictment was sent last year in April, but officially, those who are supposed to inform us (of whether he was indeed arrested) have not done so,” Nkusi said. “He was the Bourgmestre (Mayor) of Kabarondo in the then Kibungo Prefecture (Eastern Province) and he played a big role in the killings in a church there. He has been changing names so as to get refugee assistance”. Ngenzi is alleged to have participated and directed the killing of over 1,200 people in a church in Kabarondo. Reports citing legal sources in Paris, France, indicated that Ngenzi was being held in Mamoudzou, the capital of the French overseas territory. Meanwhile, in a related case, reports from Canada say federal prosecutors charged Jacques Mungwarere, another Genocide suspect, with four counts of crimes against humanity in relation to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. According to the reports, Canadian federal prosecutors filed a direct indictment against Mungwarere in the Supreme Court, saying that it was in the public’s best interest to skip the usual preliminary inquiry. Mungwarere was charged last year with one count of genocide for acts committed in Kibuye (Western Province) but an amended indictment includes three new charges: one additional charge for genocide and two charges for sexually violent war crimes. According to reports, lead prosecutor Luc Boucher said the initial single charge was based on a “brief analysis” of claims against him but information gathered during new witness interviews led to the new charges. “We hope to start the process of scheduling in the next month,” Boucher is quoted as saying. “He was a teacher at Ngoma Adventist Secondary School and was very active during the Genocide,” Nkusi noted.The suspect first entered Canada in 2001 and gained refugee status in 2002 but was arrested in November last year and has been in custody since. Ends

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Second Genocide suspect arrested on Mayotte Island