Trial of former Rwandan Minister of Education re-opens at UN tribunal

The genocide trial of a former Rwandan Minister of Education resumed yesterday at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, after a three-month hiatus due to the death of the Trial Chamber's presiding judge.

In a statement issued yesterday in Arusha, Tanzania, where the Tribunal is located, the Court said the trial of Jean de Dieu Kamuhanda - formerly Minister of Higher Education, Research and Culture in the interim Government of Rwanda in 1994 - had reopened in Trial Chamber II, composed of presiding judge William Sekule of Tanzania, Judge Winston Matanzima Maqutu of Lesotho and Judge Arlette Ramaroson of Madagascar.

Mr. Kamuhanda, who was appointed Minister in the interim Government on 25 May 1994, is facing nine counts of genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide and direct and public incitement to commit genocide. Other charges include crimes against humanity such as rape, murder and extermination.

The accused is alleged to have supervised killings in Gikomero Commune in Kigali-Rural Prefecture. He is also alleged to have personally led attacks of soldiers and Interahamwe militia against Tutsi refugees in the Prefecture.

Born on 3 March 1953 in Gikomero Commune, Mr. Kamuhanda was arrested in France in November 1999, and transferred to the Tribunal's Detention Facility in Arusha in March 2000.

The trial, which had initially opened on 17 April 2001, was adjourned following the 6 May death of the Trial Chamber's presiding judge, Laïty Kama of Senegal.