Callixte Nzabonimana

Callixte Nzabonimana is a former Rwandan politician who is accused of participating in the Rwandan Genocide.

Prior to 1994

An ethnic Hutu from Gitarama prefecture, Nzabonimana held the position of Minister of Planning in the MRND government of Juvénal Habyarimana from 15 January 1989 to 4 February 1991, in the successive "multi-party" government formed on 31 December 1991, and the second "multi-party" government formed on 16 April 1992. ref|itcr-indictment As of 1994, he was also MRND president for Gitarama prefecture.

The ICTR indictment against musician Simon Bikindi charges that Bikindi, an author of many racially charged anti-Tutsi songs, “consulted with President Juvénal Habyarimana, Minister of Youth and Sports Callixte Nzabonimana and MRND-aligned military authorities on song lyrics” before releasing them to be played on the Hutu Power radio station RTLM. ref|hirondelle

During the genocide

After the death of Habyarimana on April 6 1994, Nzabonimana was appointed Minister of Youth and Sports ("Ministre du Sport et de la Jeunesse") in the interim government. Between April 9 and 14 July, he is alleged to have met with fellow ministers at a number of government meetings in which ministers received briefings on the genocide's progress, and requested weapons to distribute in their home provinces for use by the genocidaires. ref|ictr-indictment

The indictment further alleges that "Callixte Nzabonimana played a major role in the massacres of the Tutsis in Gitarama. He visited the "bourgmestres" frequently to organize the massacres in their "communes" with them. Further, he personally travelled through the hills along with peasant farmers to be certain the farmers were carrying out properly their orders to kill the Tutsis." ref|ictr-indictment

On April 12 1994, he reportedly freed men who had been detained by the burgomaster of Rutobwe for slaughtering Tutsi cattle, and publicly rebuked and slapped the burgomaster for refusing to join the killings. He allegedly also made a speech encouraging local residents to "do their 'work'" and suggested that Tutsi cattle were waiting to be eaten. ref|hrw ref|kamanzi

On 21 November 2001, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) released an indictment charging Nzabonimana and others with genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide, complicity in genocide, direct and public incitement to commit genocide, and crimes against humanity. ref|ictr-indictment

Apprehension

Nzabonimana was detained in Tanzania on February 18, 2008 and transferred to custody of the ICTR on February 19, 2008.

According to African Rights, Nzabonimana is one of the "three key civilians" collaborating with the FLDR, operating out of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ref|rna20051025a

References

* [http://65.18.216.88/ENGLISH/cases/Nzabonimana/ Indictment against Nzabonimana] , from the ICTR
* [http://www.hirondelle.org/hirondelle.nsf/caefd9edd48f5826c12564cf004f793d/4fc571f5e3e9dd55c1256a8a00006e75?OpenDocument Musician again pleads not guilty to genocide] , "Hirondelle.org", March 8, 2003
* http://www.hrw.org/reports/1999/rwanda/Geno4-7-04.htm
* Kamanzi, Rwanda, "Du Génocide à la Defaite", p. 110; African Rights, Rwanda, Death, Despair, p. 361.
* [http://www.rwandagateway.org/article.php3?id_article=1128 African Rights seeks severe sanctions for FDLR] , "Rwanda News Agency", October 25 2005

External links

* [http://www.africanrights.unimondo.org/html/charge01.html African Rights: Charge Sheet No. 1 March 1999]
* [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/pix/b/wc/12339.htm U.S. State Department press release about Nzabonimana]
* [http://www.cij.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=indictees&tribunalID=2 Information on indictees] , from Coalition for International Justice