Washington, November 7, 2011 (FH) – A former close aide to
Rwandan president Paul Kagame who claims Kagame downed his predecessor’s
plane says he wants to be heard by the International Criminal Tribunal
for Rwanda (ICTR) or another independent court to “reveal
all the details”. Théogène Rudasingwa told Hirondelle News Agency on
Friday that he was not just requesting but “demanding” this.
“I would like to appear before the ICTR as soon as possible regarding
this matter,” he said to Hirondelle. “I am not just requesting this. I
am demanding it as a witness to the most pivotal event in the 20th
century whose consequences remain tragic almost two decades later.”
The April 6, 1994 downing of the presidential plane that killed
Kagame’s predecessor, Juvénal Habyarimana, is widely considered the
event that sparked the genocide.
In 1994, Rudasingwa was Secretary General of Kagame’s Rwandan
Patriotic Front (RPF), which came to power that year after the war and
genocide. Rudasingwa later became Rwanda’s ambassador to the United
States (1996-1999) and then Kagame’s principal private secretary
(2000-2004). Rudasingwa went into opposition in 2004 and has been living
in exile in the United States since 2005. On October 1, 2011, he
published on his Facebook page a confession in English in which he
accused Kagame of being “personally responsible” for the attack on
Habyarimana’s plane.
“I can confirm that Kagame told me he was responsible for the
shooting down of Habyarimana’s plane,” Rudasingwa told Hirondelle. “I
will divulge the details to the ICTR or the French Judge, or any other
international jurisdiction. There is additional evidence that will be
produced by others that will support my declaration.”
The ICTR has always refused to investigate the shooting down of the
plane. In France, a judicial investigation was opened in 1998 on behalf
of family of the French crew who also died in the crash. This
investigation was first led by Judge Jean-Louis Bruguière, who concluded
in 2006 that the RPF was responsible for the attack. It is now in the
hands of two anti-terrorist judges, Nathalie Poux and Marc Trévidic.
Results are still awaited from ballistics experts who conducted a
mission to Kigali in September 2010 at their request.
“I am willing and ready to appear before the ICTR, the French Judges
or any other, at any time, to set the record straight,” Rudasingwa told
Hirondelle.
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Africa Great Lakes Democracy Watch
Welcome to Africa Great Lakes Democracy Watch Blog. Our objective is to promote the institutions of democracy,social justice,Human Rights,Peace, Freedom of Expression, and Respect to humanity in Rwanda,Uganda,DR Congo, Burundi,Sudan, Tanzania, Kenya,Ethiopia, and Somalia. We strongly believe that Africa will develop if only our presidents stop being rulers of men and become leaders of citizens. We support Breaking the Silence Campaign for DR Congo since we believe the democracy in Rwanda means peace in DRC. Follow this link to learn more about the origin of the war in both Rwanda and DR Congo:http://www.rwandadocumentsproject.net/gsdl/cgi-bin/library
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