Most wanted Genocide suspect brought back to Rwanda

KIGALI - Colonel Faustin Sebuhura, a man on Rwanda’s most wanted list was Wednesday brought back to the country. Sebuhura was the deputy head of the Gendarmerie in the former Prefecture of Gikongoro in Southern Rwanda during the 1994 Genocide. He held the rank of Captain at that time. Reliable sources told The New Times that he was brought to Rwanda from Masisi in eastern DRC aboard an ambulance of the United Nations Mission in the Congo (MONUC. He is said to be currently admitted in critical condition at Gisenyi main hospital close to the Congo border. The New Times could not immediately establish what the Genocide suspect is suffering from. He had for a long time been on the most wanted list of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). His file is among those handed over to Rwandan authorities because the tribunal is close to winding up. Sebuhura was cited many times at the Arusha-based tribunal during the trial of Colonel Aloys Simba, the head of the civil defence in both Gitarama and neighbouring Butare. Simba was found guilty by the ICTR and sentenced to 25 years. Also named as being among the main instigators of the massacres was the former Prefet (Governor) of Gikongoro, Laurent Bucyibaruta. He was also indicted by the ICTR but the tribunal chose to hand the case to French authorities where the accused is awaiting trial. Bucyibaruta was arrested in France last year at the request of the ICTR. A mystery has always surrounded reasons why he was not arrested before yet his whereabouts were never kept secret and is even said to have testified at the tribunal via video conference. It was only in 2005 that the Prosecutor finally signed the indictment. The three are particularly wanted for the murder of over 50,000 Tutsis who had taken refuge at Murambi Technical College. The Site is now one of the country’s major genocide memorials. “At about 07.00 hours on 21 April 1994, Laurent Bucyibaruta, accompanied by Aloys Simba and Faustin Sebuhura examined the massacre site at Murambi Technical School. Aloys Simba expressed his satisfaction about the results of the killing campaign. The ICTR indictment also mentions that on April 22, Sebuhura went to Gikongoro Prison and urged all Hutus to kill all prisoners of the Tutsi ethnic group. A recent report by African Rights; The Nairobi Communique and the ex-FAR Interahamwe named Sebuhura alias Minani Marius, as being the overall co-coordinator of military training, for the FOCA/FDLR rebels in eastern DRC. They are an offshoot of the former government army and Interahamwe militia who spearheaded the 1994 Genocide. Ends

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Most wanted Genocide suspect brought back to Rwanda