By Eric C. Sigmund
Managing Editor of News
ARUSHA, Tanzania – The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) on Tuesday sentenced former Rwandan army chief General Augustin Bizimungu to 30 years in prison for organizing and ordering the 1994 genocide in Rwanda which left approximately 800,000 people dead. The Court found Bizimungu guilty of six counts of genocide, crimes against humanity, extermination, rape and other violations of international law.
Bizimungu, who fled to Angola after the atrocities in Rwanda, was arrested in 2002 and detained by the tribunal until formally charged with leading the genocide in 2004. The conclusion of the nine year trial marks a critical step towards reconciliation for Rwanda.
The 100-day genocide resulted in the murder of hundreds of thousands of ethnic Tutsis and Tutsi sympathizers at the hands of the country’s Hutu majority. Bizimungu, who labeled the Tutsis “cockroaches,” had ordered their extermination and expulsion from the country. In addition to the dead, over one million people are said to have fled the country during the genocide.
Rwandan Prosecutor General Martin Ngoga welcomed the decision and commented that “it is a big sentence, even if many people think he deserved the highest.”
While most observers are satisfied with the result, some commentators remained concerned about the slow pace of justice. Rwanda’s Justice Minister Tharcisse Karugarama, commented that the process was too expensive and time consuming. “You had massive resources put at the disposal of the court and the amount of work….leaves a lot to be desired,” expressed Karugarama. According to reporters, the total cost of the tribunal is estimated around $1 billion dollars. Mr. Karugarama further noted that the mandate of the tribunal should have been extended to allow for compensation to victims.
Addressing these concerns, Chief Prosecutor Hassan Jallow stressed that the tribunal process is complex and was slowed by the fact that the tribunal was not located in the same country where the crimes were committed or where the witnesses reside.
Some critics, including Karugarama, have proposed that remaining military officers be tried in Rwanda’s domestic Gacaca courts. The Gacaca court process is much more informal, notes Karugarama, ensuring a speedy trial. According to Mr. Karugarama “One of the reasons why we allowed the Rwandans to prosecute these serving military officers is because I think it has a better impact on efforts towards reconciliation if the Rwandans themselves are seen to prosecute their own people.” Since 2002 more than 1.5 million people have been tried in the Gacaca courts, resulting in the conviction of 40,000 people. Human rights groups however, have questioned the fairness of these trials, noting that more informal procedures could undermine the legal process.
Despite his criticism of the tribunal, Justice Minister Karugarama concluded that “It is very important to us that [the ICTR] has set an international precedent on the crime of genocide.”
Two other senior military officers François-Xavier Nzuwonemeye and Innocent Sagahutu were also found guilty for participating in the genocide. Each was sentenced to 20 years in prison. The Bizimungu trial is the 59th trial completed by the ICTR since 1994.
For more information, please see:
BBC Africa – Rwanda Genocide: Did Bizimungu Trial Take too Long? – 17 May, 2011
CBS World News – Rwandan Genocide Architect Given 30 yrs in Prison – 17 May, 2011
CNN – Former Rwandan Army Chief Gets 30 years for Genocide – 17 May, 2011
Mirror UK – Brutal Former Army Chief Jailed over 1994 Rwanda Genocide – 17 May, 2011
