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Rwanda: Governor Reportedly Bars Demo Against Genocide Suspect's Acquittal2006-09-22BBC Monitoring AfricaExcerpt from report by James Munyaneza entitled "Governor blocks anti-ICTR demo" published in English by Rwandan newspaper The New Times website on 21 September Eastern Province Governor Theoneste Mutsindashyaka on Wednesday blocked a demonstration against the recent acquittal of former bourgmester (mayor) of the former Rukara, Jean Mpambara, which was scheduled for yesterday [20 September]. The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) on 12 September absolved the former Rukara bourgomester (mayor), of any responsibility in the 1994 genocide in the area where he had been accused of masterminding the killings of thousands of Tutsis and moderate Hutus. Mutsindashyaka confirmed to The New Times yesterday that he had called the protest off because he had not been informed about it. "I personally instructed the mayor of Kayonza District (Damas Muhororo) to stop it because I was unaware and therefore was not sure whether the demonstrators would not be violent or whether something bad would not happen," the governor said by telephone. He said there was no guarantee that the seven-kilometre march would be peaceful. "It was not properly organized. I asked the police and they told me they were unaware of it, I had to intervene. If it had happened and something bad happens, I would be responsible and the mayor would have resigned the next day," Mutsindashyaka said. Muhororo, the mayor, however communicated a different reason for the flopping of the protest. Instead, he told the would-be demonstrators that he deemed it better for them to express their dissatisfaction over the ICTR verdict through other means such as debates other than storming the streets. "We were told that we could use other means such as radios to express our plight and that the mayor had wished to first meet genocide survivors," one of the residents from Mukarange Sector, Kayonza District told The New Times. He was one of the many people who had turned up to the streets by 7.00 a.m. Asked for a comment, Mayor Muhororo denied the protest was blocked by anybody. "No one stopped them, why would they be stopped?" He told The New Times by telephone that he had found it unfitting for the population from various sectors to stage one demonstration. "They can express their dissatisfaction through other means like debates, but not to demonstrate," he said. However, the mayor said the demonstration was also thwarted by gacaca proceedings and rain. "Normally on Thursday residents go for gacaca activities and besides that it rained." However the showers started at around 11:00 a.m., four hours after the walk was supposed to kick off. Mutsindashyaka said he was willing to okay the demonstration at a later date. "If they inform me early; we will make adequate preparations and give them a go- ahead. They have a just cause," he said. [Passage omitted] (c) 2006 BBC Monitoring Africa. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.
Channel: USHMM: International Law
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