Prosecution on Thursday, April 22 spelt out in detail the roles of five suspects – all former members of MRCD-FLN militia organisation – in series of attacks on Rwandan territory that occurred in southwestern district of Rusizi in 2019. This was during the ongoing trial of 21 suspects who are part of the MRCD-FLN trial that started earlier this year, involving key actors of the outfit, including its founding president, Paul Rusesabagina. During the trial that is being heard by the High Court Specialised Chamber for International and Cross Border Crimes, prosecutors spelt out charges of five of the suspects; Cassien Bizimana, Jean-Berchmans Matakamba, Emmanuel Shabani, Innocent Ntibiramira and Jean-Claude Byukusenge. Bizimana, whom prosecutors said was a key figure in the outfit, specifically planned and coordinated the successive terror attacks – which included shootings and grenade attacks that occurred in Rusizi District between May and October 2019. “His part in the attacks included commanding the fighters, smuggling into the country weapons that were used in the attacks and taking part in the attacks in which many people were injured and property destroyed,” said Claudine Dushimimana, who one of the prosecuting attorneys in the case. According to Dushimimana, the attacks were planned in Bukavu town in the Democratic Republic of Congo – which is right across from Rusizi – where Bizimana recruited many of the assailants. Bizimana used different aliases including Bizimana Patient, Passy and Selemani, among others, to be able to effectively execute his plan. One of such attacks was carried out in Kamembe town near a bar called Stella. Here, grenades were thrown in a group of people, leaving many injured, four of them seriously. No one died from the attack. “In 2018, Bizimana was sent by the FLN militia leadership to Bukavu town, on a mission to organise attacks on Rwanda. While in Bukavu, he, together with a one Justin Bugingo who was the representative of the FLN in the town, planned the terror attacks, and recruited people who would take part in them,” she said. Prosecution told court that, during earlier interrogation sessions, Bizimana admitted that he transported weapons including guns and grenades that were used in the attacks, and that he took part in one of them, where he burnt a car. Bizimana, prosecution said, has a long history with illegal armed groups, having formerly worked with the FOCA militia, the military wing of FDLR, and later joined the splinter group that formed MRCD and later the armed group FLN. Besides actively fighting, Bizimana also worked as a medic, treating fighters in case they were injured on the battlefield. Concerning the other suspects, prosecution said Shabani worked with Bizimana to smuggle weapons into the country. For Matakamba, prosecution said he used to store the weapons after they were smuggled into the country by Bizimana, in addition to mobilising people to join the militia group and take part in the terror activities. Ntibiramira and Byukusenge participated in shooting attacks on civilian trucks on the road, and a grenade attack in Rusizi according to prosecution. By the end of business on Thursday, prosecution had presented indictments of five suspects, bringing the total of indictments presented so far to 11. Judge Antoine Muhima adjourned the hearing to April 28 and 29, where much is expected to be heard in regard to the charges against the remaining 12 suspects.
