Bizimungu, genocide suspect, transferred to tribunal

Rwandan genocide suspect Augustin Bizimungu has been transferred into the custody of the International Criminal Tribunal of Rwanda (ICTR), the UN body reported on Thursday.

Bizimungu, a former major-general and chief of staff of the Rwandan army, was arrested recently in the eastern Angolan city of Luena by local authorities acting on a warrant issued by the ICTR. The Angolan authorities said Bizimungu had been fighting on the side of the Angolan rebel group, UNITA, which signed a peace accord with Luanda after the death early this year of the UNITA leader, Jonas Savimbi.

Angola said Bizimungu had been identified during the demobilisation of the UNITA forces. His was the first arrest in Angola on the tribunal's behalf. He was one of 68 Rwandan soldiers Angola said had been fighting for UNITA.

"He is one of the most senior former military commanders apprehended by the tribunal to date," the UN court reported.

It said he was also the first to be detained of nine principal genocide suspects named by the US government, under its Rewards for Justice Programme. This programme is supporting the ICTR's efforts to arrest high-ranking fugitives.

Bizimungu is indicted along with Augustin Ndindiliyimana, former chief of staff of the Gendarmerie Nationale; Francois-Xavier Nzuwonemeye, former Reconnaissance Battalion commander; his adjutant, Innocent Sagahutu; and Protais Mpiranya, former commander of the presidential guard. All these former military officers, with the exception of Mpiranya, are in the ICTR's custody.

They are charged on 12 counts, of which 10 concern Bizimungu. "They include conspiracy to commit genocide, genocide, five counts of crimes against humanity for murder, extermination, rape, persecution and other inhumane acts and serious violations of the Geneva Conventions," the tribunal reported.

The indictment states that Bizimungu and other Rwandan officers, between April and July 1994, ordered, encouraged and supported the massacres of Tutsis and moderate Hutus. It added that from 1992 on, Bizimungu made statements identifying Tutsi and moderate Hutu as "the enemy", and had contributed to the training and arming of militia groups.

In a related development on Wednesday, the ICTR dropped genocide charges against Leonidas Rusatira, a former Rwandan army general. In her decision, Judge Pillay ordered the "immediate withdrawal" of the arrest warrant for lack of evidence. Rusatira, 58, is a former secretary-general to the Cabinet in Rwanda, and was commandant of the High Military School during the genocide.