Trial of NGENZI/BARAHIRA. May 27th 2016, Day 13th

Mr Eliezer NGENDAHIMANA’s hearing (farmer).

The witness reports about the “security meeting” which took part on April 13th, 1994, on the Cyinzovu football field and led by Mr Tito BARAHIRA . Locals were supposedly invited to this meeting with a letter that one of them received, Samuel NSENGIYUMVA. The aim was to discuss about the situation for each cell. Reproaches were made to the Rugazy’s people for not taking care of their own cell’s security. They were also asked to help Nyabisenga’s people but they refused. Instruction was “not to kill Tutsi women who were married to Hutu, because those women had no ethnicity” but on the other hand, no mercy for tutsy couples and their children. According to the witness 250 people participated t this meeting.

During the questioning, the witness confirmed that “working” ment “killing”, even the kids. BARAHIRA himself said those words. The witness also added he had to go back home to pick up his own arms: machete and club. The other people were also armed.  Back in his cell after the meeting, the witness went on a Tutsi’s killing spree in a nearby wood, just after receiving this order from Samuel NSENGIYUMVA. This attack supposedly killed 3 people who had left the church. Regarding another attack the next day which would have killed 2 more people, Eliezer says he only cut a branch from a coffee tree that what used for this killing. The barrier question is back. The witness says he saw only one, close to the bridge, but nothing happened there. Everybody left upon the Inkotany’s arrival. The witness mentioned he plead guilty to ease his guilt because the one who have been killed were “innocent victims”.

The Advocate General made him precise under which circumstances those people were killed in the wood. Answer: “we asked them where they were coming from. We hit them with our sticks and they died. I also hit them. Those were an old woman, a young men and a forty years old men”. He precised that those killings were the answer to BARAHIRA’s speech on the football field.

PS. The witness was called back to the stand at the end of the day, around 7:30 PM, after Onesphore BIZIMUNGU’s hearing, to know if at the day of the meeting on April 13th 1994 he saw Samuel NSENGIYUMVA who was claiming having spent the day with him. The witness answered negatively.

 

Samuel NSENGIYUMVA’s hearing (farmer)

On April 13th 1994 he took place to the meeting held by M. BARAHIRA. They were plenty, all sat on the grass. The latter asked them if they knew why they were here.  The attendees learned about the “security meeting”.  And quoting the speaker :” you know how it worked before, how our father were killed, how they had to perform forced labour while beating us up. We are about to talk about this point”. They were asked to provide safety in their homes due to the arrival of FPR and to save the tutsi girls because they were about to be married to their sons. Then people spread out. “we, the people of Rugazy, went home. Killers attacked people on their way to church”.

The witness gives some details, mentioning that the targets were only Tutsis and that the church killing happened the day after the meeting. About “providing safety” it ment “kill the tutsis” without openly saying it.
The witness says he was charged during the gacaca and sentenced to 30 years jail time. He appealed and the sentence was significantly reduced.

At this time, he reports BARAHIRA’s saying at the end of the meeting:” things are going to make noise, don’t worry, it is about security”.  Questioned by the annoyed president (of the court), he finaly admits those words were from NGENZI, while meeting him on the road, driving his Toyota Hilux.

The Advocate General questions the witness to know if the massacres following the meeting are a direct consequence of BARAHIRA’s speech: “ The massacres were based on BARAHIRA’s speech, people left and started the killings”, so answered the witness. He definitely met NGENZI on Kabarondo road where he was heading to and confirmed what he just said. He also heard the bullets from the church.

Mr Meilhac, counsellor, also questioned the witness about the number of people attending the meeting. “you said 3000”. “No 300” replied the witness.  “I got mixed up. What I said today, could be forgotten tomorrow, because I have been sick”. Les Interahamwe? “Before the Interahamwe, it was a good group. After it changed, and nowadays if you are Interahamwe, you get punished. Those who killed with the machete became Interahamwe”.

The counsellor Mathe will close the questioning. She wants to know his exact schedule since he left his home till his arrival in France for the audition. She insists on where he stayed in Kigali, how he was able to go from his home to Kigali. Answers are unclear. One answer concerning the mean of transportation made the people laugh. “You came with a vehicle. Do you own a vehicle? Obvious answer from the witness: I travelled with a plane, do you think I own a plane ?” Eventually he admitted using public transportation.

The question is, why is the Counsellor Mathe interested  in his schedule? She might have something in mind.

M. Onesphore BIZIMUNGU’s hearing (video conferencing). Testifying for the defence.

As a witness he has no spontaneous report, the President of the court is questioning him. The witness knew very well BARAHIRA, who was at first a teacher, then Kabarondo’s mayor. He is introducing him also as Electrogaz Kibungo “director/manager”. According to him, he had no political activity. Nevertheless he was president of MRND and at the head of Interahamwe who were wandering with sticks and grenades. He took part to a meeting on Cyinzovu football field. BARAHIRA asked for the destruction of Joram RWAMIHIGO’s house. Mentioning he also planned to tear down Tutsi’s houses, including killing the tutsis. :”we went home and killed people, the tutsis”.

As for other witnesses, he mentioned that they were asked to killed tutsi couples, and that “working” means “killing”. ”When we flushed one out, we killed him”. He agreed that he took part into the killing in the “project” wood with Samuel NSENGIYUMVA et Augustin NSABIMANA, among others. He claimed having publicly asked to BARAHIRA why he was doing this segregation.  The latter had that day a lance. He kept a certain influence on his former citizen. When he heard the grenades at the church, he understood. His estimation is that about 2 000 people joined the meeting at the football field. He had himself  a machete, on Samuel Nsengiyumva’s request.  The witness claimed  seeing NGENZI at the health centre on may 12th. Someone was asking him to ensure his safety. The mayor supposedly answered: “we are going to solve that situation” . Followed by the killing the next day. But he didn’t see NGENZI on the road the 13th after the meeting at the football field. He was staying with Samuel until 2:00 PM.

When questioned by the General Advocate, he talks again about meeting NGENZI at the health centre. He came to talk about sanitary issues at the church. The mayor’s answer: “the problem about the people in the church, will be solved at the church”. According to the witness it meant that the people should die in the church. People were gathering at the church because they were chased in the middle of the Interahamve’s screaming’s, the noise they were doing with cow horns (the witness may have said also with the whistle, so many ways to scare the refugees). The witness answers positively to the defence question about NGENZI having a lance. “You are the only one to say so” said the counsellor MEILHAC as a conclusion, a little bit upset by the witness attitude, showing himself upset during the hearing.

Recess was notified at 8:15 PM, after a new hearing of the witness Eliezer NGENDAHIMANA was urgently required.
On next Monday, we will be starting the trial’s 4th week. The church killing will be the focal central point. Starting Tuedsay, the atrocity of the genocide will be revealed.