Two genocide suspects transferred to UN tribunal

Two suspects wanted in connection with the 1994 genocide in Rwanda have been transferred to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in Arusha, Tanzania.

Aloys Simba, a lieutenant-colonel in the former Rwandan armed forces and an MP during the genocide, and Paul Bisengimana, the former mayor of Gikoro, Kigali Rural Prefecture, were transferred to the tribunal on 11 March, a statement from the ICTR said.

Simba was arrested on 23 November 2001 in Mali, while Bisengimana was arrested in 4 December 2001 in Senegal.

Simba is charged with four counts of genocide and crimes against humanity, including murder and extermination in the Gikongoro and Butare prefectures. The ICTR office of the prosecutor alleges that Simba prepared for the genocide at least a year in advance, Internews reported.

Bisengimana faces 12 counts of genocide and crimes against humanity, including murder, rape, torture and other inhumane acts. The prosecution claims that he worked with Laurent Semanza, the former mayor of Bicumbi commune, to kill thousands of people in Bicumbi and Gikoro communes, Internews reported. Semanza is currently on trial at the ICTR.

The prosecution also claims that Bisengimana trained and distributed weapons to Interahamwe militiamen, who were responsible for much of the killing of an estimated 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus.

This brings the number of suspects transferred to the ICTR in the last 10 days to three. The third suspect, Vincent Rutaganira, was arrested in a refugee camp in Tanzania on 2 March.

The total number of detainees at the ICTR is currently 54.