Gregoire Ndahimana
Encyclopedia
Grégoire Ndahimana is the former mayor of Kivumu, Rwanda. Indicted and arrested for alleged war crimes by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
(ICTR), Ndahimana is thought to be one of the key figures in the 1994 Rwandan Genocide
, and is claimed to have had up to 6,000 Tutsi
killed. He will stand trial in Arusha
, Tanzania
, where the ICTR currently holds its courts.
, a Catholic priest who was convicted by the ICTR in 2008 of the same massacre. Of the 6,000 Tutsis who had been living in Ndahimana's town while he was mayor, nearly all were killed in the genocide.
According to reports, Ndahimana, the local police, and various officials of the government allegedly started massing Tutsi refugees in the parish of Nyange on 10 April 1994. Approximately 2,000 refugees were inside. After a two-day siege, Ndahimana met with other leaders in the local area, including the parish priest, and, on April 15, the decision to bulldoze the church was made.
On August 11, 2009, Ndahimana was captured by a UN-backed joint Rwandan
-Congolese task force. Ndahimana had been hiding amongst, and fighting alongside, FDLR rebels, according to Congolese
Information Minister Lambert Mende. The FDLR, or Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, is a group with a large component of Hutu
s who took part in the Rwandan genocide in 1994. The soldiers arrested Ndahimana in a village in North Kivu after catching him by surprise while he "was coming to look for some food within the local population,” according to army spokesperson Olivier Hamuli. The arrest was announced on the following day. Ndahimana had been in hiding for 15 years, and, according to Rwanda’s justice minister Tharcisse Karugarama
, was considered by the government to be “...one of the big ones." Ndahimana's trial is scheduled in Tanzania, where the ICTR is headquartered. On 20 September 2009, Ndahimana was transferred from DRC to custody of the ICTR in Arusha, Tanzania, where he is indicted.
International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda is an international court established in November 1994 by the United Nations Security Council in Resolution 955 in order to judge people responsible for the Rwandan Genocide and other serious violations of international law in Rwanda, or by Rwandan...
(ICTR), Ndahimana is thought to be one of the key figures in the 1994 Rwandan Genocide
Rwandan Genocide
The Rwandan Genocide was the 1994 mass murder of an estimated 800,000 people in the small East African nation of Rwanda. Over the course of approximately 100 days through mid-July, over 500,000 people were killed, according to a Human Rights Watch estimate...
, and is claimed to have had up to 6,000 Tutsi
Tutsi
The Tutsi , or Abatutsi, are an ethnic group in Central Africa. Historically they were often referred to as the Watussi or Watusi. They are the second largest caste in Rwanda and Burundi, the other two being the Hutu and the Twa ....
killed. He will stand trial in Arusha
Arusha
Arusha is a city in northern Tanzania. It is the capital of the Arusha Region, which claims a population of 1,288,088, including 281,608 for the Arusha District . Arusha is surrounded by some of Africa's most famous landscapes and national parks...
, Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
, where the ICTR currently holds its courts.
Role in Rwandan Genocide
Ndahimana was the mayor of Kivumu, his birthtown in Rwanda, where he allegedly perpetrated the hunting and killing of Tutsi people. The ICTR indicted him of conspiring to kill up to 2,000 Tutsi civilians by ordering the bulldozing of a local church housing them. Ndahimana allegedly conspired with Athanase SerombaAthanase Seromba
Athanase Seromba is a Rwandan priest who was found guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity committed in the Rwandan genocide....
, a Catholic priest who was convicted by the ICTR in 2008 of the same massacre. Of the 6,000 Tutsis who had been living in Ndahimana's town while he was mayor, nearly all were killed in the genocide.
According to reports, Ndahimana, the local police, and various officials of the government allegedly started massing Tutsi refugees in the parish of Nyange on 10 April 1994. Approximately 2,000 refugees were inside. After a two-day siege, Ndahimana met with other leaders in the local area, including the parish priest, and, on April 15, the decision to bulldoze the church was made.
Search and capture
Ndahimana was among thirteen war criminals from the genocide thought uncaptured, and was considered a 'Category 1' suspect by the ICTR, a rank reserved for the perceived masterminds of the 1994 genocide. In May 2008, the US Department of State issued a Rewards for Justice poster stating that part of a $5 million USD reward could be paid for information leading to his capture.On August 11, 2009, Ndahimana was captured by a UN-backed joint Rwandan
Rwandan Defence Forces
The Rwanda Defence Forces is the national army of Rwanda. Largely composed of former Rwandan Patriotic Army fighters, it comprises The High Command Council of the Rwanda Defence Forces; the General Staff of the Rwanda Defence Forces; the Rwanda Land Force; the Rwanda Air Force; and ...
-Congolese task force. Ndahimana had been hiding amongst, and fighting alongside, FDLR rebels, according to Congolese
Politics of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Politics of the Democratic Republic of Congo take place in a framework of a republic in transition from a civil war to a semi-presidential democratic republic....
Information Minister Lambert Mende. The FDLR, or Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, is a group with a large component of Hutu
Hutu
The Hutu , or Abahutu, are a Central African people, living mainly in Rwanda, Burundi, and eastern DR Congo.-Population statistics:The Hutu are the largest of the three peoples in Burundi and Rwanda; according to the United States Central Intelligence Agency, 84% of Rwandans and 85% of Burundians...
s who took part in the Rwandan genocide in 1994. The soldiers arrested Ndahimana in a village in North Kivu after catching him by surprise while he "was coming to look for some food within the local population,” according to army spokesperson Olivier Hamuli. The arrest was announced on the following day. Ndahimana had been in hiding for 15 years, and, according to Rwanda’s justice minister Tharcisse Karugarama
Tharcisse Karugarama
Tharcisse Karugarama is a Rwandan politician. He is the current Minister of Justice and Attorney-General in the Rwandan government.A member of the RPF, Karugarama has played a role in the prosecution of crimes associated with the Rwandan Genocide....
, was considered by the government to be “...one of the big ones." Ndahimana's trial is scheduled in Tanzania, where the ICTR is headquartered. On 20 September 2009, Ndahimana was transferred from DRC to custody of the ICTR in Arusha, Tanzania, where he is indicted.