At the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), a former leader of the Interahamwe, Georges Rutaganda, said the militia had no organised structure and began as a "forum of intellectuals" from the now-defunct MRND party of ex-president Juvenal Habyarimana.
Presenting his own defence before the Tribunal on Friday, the militia's former second vice-president
said the Interahamwe did not start off as a youth organisation, the independent Hirondelle news agency reported. "That only came about later," he told the court. Rutaganda's testimony, due to continue on Monday, was postponed due to the defendant's ill health.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
Share this article