2.

3.

4.

5.

~, t: ~ :55 9 58,Statement by Omar SERUSHAGO

In 1990, I was a currency dealer, in both local and foreign currencies. My father was aconseiller de secteur and a big trader in Gisenyi town. He was a native of the same area asthe President (Giciye commune) and that explains why he was a very influential man.Dudng the Octoberl990 war, the leaders of the MRND, namely Col. RWENDEYE,MAGERA (the President’s brother-in-law) and Col. Innocent NZABANITA alias"Dictionnaire ", contacted my father and suggested to him that I should become a memberof the MRND/Interahamwe (the Interahamwe already existed by 1990, but it was a secret)»My father and I discussed the advantages of being a member of the MRND, after which Idecided to join the movement. However, the nature of my job did not allow me to attendmeetings, as I was often away from Gisenyi. (N.B: the three people mentioned above aredead).

I made several business trips between Kigali and Gisenyi between 1990 and 1992. While inKigali, I would not stay in a hotel. I would stay at the residence of CIaver MVUYEKURE,the Director of the Banque Commerciale du Rwanda (BCR) or at FelicienNSENGIMANA’s ( who is currently in Gabon). We always talked about the Tutsis in ourconversation with these people. They kept saying: "They are our enemies and we shall killthem one day". Very often Col. BUREGEYA (Commander of the Ecole SupérieurMilitaire) and Col. NGAYINTERANYA (Commander of the Gendarmerie in Rwanda)visited us and they would ask me to work with the Interahamwe, so as to assist thePresident fight against and eliminate the Tutsis and moderate Hutus.

In July 1993, Jean Marc MPOZEMBIZI (Bourgmestre of Rubavu), Fazili HAKIZIMANA(conseiller de secteur for Gisenyi) and SIBOMANA alias "Sheikh" (conseiller de secteurfor Gisenyi), started recruiting young people and giving them military training in theBigogwe camp. I was net involved in these activities at the time, because of my business.The training was conducted by Major François Xavier UWIMANA and the campcommander was Major Juvenal BAHUFITE. The following are some of the Interahamwefrom Gisenyi who underwent militait trainîng:

Bernard MUNYAGISHARIHASSAN alias "Gitoki" (eut thumb)Thomas MUGIRANEZAZainabo FAZILI (Bernard MUNYAGISHARI’s wife, new in Gisenyiprison)DJUMAPILI NYARIBOGIZari KANYARUHENGERISifa MUREKATETE (017’s sister-in-law, who died in Tingi Tingi)

When the Interahamwe completed their training, Bourgmestre MPOZEMBIZI (now inGisenyi prison) and Conseillers HAKIZIMANA (in Gisenyi prison) and SIBOMANA Wentto military camps and obtained weapons which they handed over to the lnterahamwe. Iremember the women receiving AK 47’s.

K005-2406 - K005-2413 Translat¢d from the French1

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In July/August 1993, the Gisenyi Interahamwe received a delegation of some thirtylnterahamwe militiamen from Kigali. I laid these people in the MRND hall in Gisenyi andduring the night, Major Juvenal BAHUFITE, who was then G2 in the military intelligence,took them to the Bigogwe commando trairàng centre. In Bigogwe, the delegation wasreeeived by Major François Xavier UWIMANA, who was in charge of their training. Tl~ywere given military la’aining to enable them kill the Tutsis and moderate Hutus.

During July, August and September 1993, I took part in demonstrations against otherpolitieal parties. The demonstrations were organised by the MRND chairman and vice-chairman for Gisenyi, Whellas BANZI and Mathieu NYAGASAZA respectively, and aCDR member ealled Barnabé SAMVURA. I never attended the meetings, but I reeeivedinstructions from HASSAN and Bernard MUNYAGISHARI. They told me that I was"strict and reliable" and would instruct me to go with lnterahamwe youths to get pick-uptrucks from traders for use in colleeting stones which were used for bloeking roads and theairport in a bid to prevent the Tutsis from escaping. I took part in three demonstrations andmy role was always the same (trucks and stones). During one demonstration in (October1993?), Bernard MUNYAGISHARI and Bamabé SAMVURA instructed me to go andfetch a Tutsi woman named Patricia UZABUMWANA, who was married to a Belgian whoowned Edelweiss hotel, and take her to the Gisenyi MRND office. Michel (of CDR),KIGURU-MUBARAKA, our driver Lionceau MUVUNYI and I, went to Eldeweiss Hotel.I asked the woman to follow us to the MRND office, so that she takes back a fziGs~age tothe Tutsis that we knew what they were doing and that we were ready [sic]."V#~,,,~lad gonefor her because she used to let the Tutsis and moderate Hutus meet in one of the rooms inthe hotel. The woman feared for her lire offered me money which I refused to take. Weforced ber to the MRND office. When we got to the office, Benard and Bamabé told thoseprescrit: "This is the Tutsi woman who offers the Tutsis a ropm~in’which they hold theirmeetings. She said she was a Tutsi, but of Belgian nationality, The Préfet, who was in hisoffice, telephoned Kigali and was ordered to release the woman on grounds of her Belgiannationality. Préfet Joseph HABIYAMBERE drove ber home.

In December 1993, Joseph NZIRORERA and Juvenal UWlLINGIMANA held a meeting’~’at the Méridien Hotel in Gisenyi. The following ten leaders of the lnterahamwe militiamenin Gisenyi attended the meeting:

- Bernard MUNYAGISHARI, overaU chairman of the lnterahamwe for Gisenyipréfecture (said to be in Masisi)

- HASSAN alias Gitoki (eut thumb), ehairman of the lnterahamwe for Gisenyi town(said to be in Bukavu or Goma)

- Thomas MUGIRANEZA, vice-ehairman of the lnterahamwe for Gisenyi town (saidto be in Masisi)

- Mabuye TWAGIRAYEZU, CDR chairman for Gisenyi- Omar SERUSHAGO, who held no official title among the Gisenyi Interahamwe, but

in reality, being a native of the same village as President HABYARIMANA gav~himconsiderable powers. He was the de facto chairman of the lnterahamwe in Gisenyitown.

- Zainabo FAZILI, the lnterahamwe seeretary for Gisenyi and MUNYAGISHARI’swife. (She is in prison in Gisenyi)

aP

K005-2406 - K005-2413 Translated from the Frcnch 2

9.

10.

11.

- Rashid GAHUTU, publicity secretary for the Interaharrrwe in Gisenyi (deceased)- DJUMAPILI-NYARIBOGI, treasurer for the Gisenyi Interahamwe- ~ Zari KANYARUHENGERI, treasurer.

The meeting had been convened to announce to us that we were lucky to have a newcommandant de place in Gisenyi, Col. Anatole NSENGIYUMVA, who was a hative ofGisenyi and a true Interahamwe and that Iris presence should hOt pose any problem to us, forhe belonged to our polkical party and was an Interahamwe. (The Colonel had arrived thatvery day). NZIRORERA told us that he would talk to the Colonel to get us amas. He said thatthe weapons were hOt toys to play with and added that Bernard MUNYAGISHARI wasgoing to brief us on what to do with them. NZIRORERA offered 20,000 Rwandan francs toeach of the ten Interaharrrwe present. I came to leam later that NZIRORERA told Bernardthat the weapons were to be used to eliminate the Tutsis when things exploded in Gisenyi.

In January, February and March 1994, I cominued with my usual money-changing business.Several meetings were held but I did not attend them. HASSAN kept me informed of theoutcome. Before April 1994, Bamabé SAMVURA of CDR circulated a document in whichhe warned ail the Hutus to be alert, as the Tutsis were due to fight them. He further said:"You the young Hutus, be reassured that you will be supplied with guns to fight the Tutsis.Do not fear to go to the churches if that is where the Tutsis are hiding. Go and fight themthere". The document was signed by Jean Bosco BARAYAGWIZA (now under arrest inArusha)

On 7 April 1994??, I was living in one of Col. Bonaventure BUREGEYA’s houses. ThomasMUGIRANEZA and one soldier came and told me to watch the house of my neighbour,MUSONERA, who was a Tutsi and whose family members they were going to kill. I saidthat I would kill them. (The MUSONERAs were my friends). When MUGIRANEZA and thesoldier left, I brought the MUSONERAs to my house, got my gun (an R4) and drove th~family to the priests for protection (the priests’ house was ne~ mine). MUSONERA had~$PLUZI gun in his house which I took with me to my house.

On 6 April 1994, I left the Méridien hotel at about 9.30 p.m. after taking some beer. At about7.30 a.m. the next moming, about ten lnterahamwe from Kanama and Byahi, arrived at myhouse, armed with maehetes and said they wanted to kill my wife (a Tutsi) and the membersof the MUSONERA family. I picked up my R4 gun and gave the UZI gun to a young manwho used to live with me and told him to shoot if the Interahamwe tried to force their wayinside. The Interahamwe then went away.

At about 8.30 a.m., four of the lnterahamwe returned to my house and asked where theMUSONERAs were. I told them that I had been to their house but round no one ther~l$ffhe~-."Interahamwe left. At this very moment, Col. Bonaventure BUREGEYA came and told methat the lnterahamwe had killed lais younger brother’s daughter. The Colonel asked me toaccompany him to look for the body and bury it. When we arrived at the bouse, the girl wasindeed dead and the mother and three boys were hiding in the ceiling. We drove them tothe colonel’s house and before I left, the colonel told me "My brother, do not spill blood.The President is dead and the little one (the girl) is dead. Do not spill blood".

K005-2406 - K005-2413 Translated from the French3

I left the Colonel and return¢d to my bouse (ai about 10.00 a.m.). In front of my house, met Lieutenant BIZUMUREMYI who intimidated me by asking: "Why are you ,notinvolved in thc operation like the other Interahamwe?". I told him that I would bc joiningthe opcmtion in one or two hours’ rime. Before leaving, he requcsted me fo look for theInterahamwe in our neighbourhood so that he could issue them with grenades and ~bullets.

I stayed at home and at about 2.00 p.m., Col. ,tmatole came with about ten soldi¢rs and fourbodyguards in his Land Rover, followed by six other soldiers. Hc asked me why I was nottaking part in the operation like the others. I explained that my wife was pregnant and I waswaiting to transfer her fo Goma. The Préfet allowed me thirty days and on 13 April, I tookher to Goma. (I did not participate in the operation from 6 to 13 April and Colonel Anatolewamed me that I was risking my life by not doing so.) "

On 13 April, having left my wife in Goma, I rctumed to my bouse and met InterahamweThomas MUGIRANEZA and Bernard MUNYAGISHARI, as well as CDR members,namely Hassan MABUYE-TWAGIRAYEZU, GAHUTU and DJUMAPILI-NYARIBOGI.(DJUMAPILI-NYARIBOGI told me that he had set Edelweiss hotel on tire). They told that since I was a "strict" person, I should be in charge of the roadblock at "Corniche" (aCustoms roadblock), which was a major roadblock on the only access road to Goma, Zaire.I accepted thc assignment and thcy gave m~~our youths: two from CDR and two fromMRND, namely ABUBA-MACHAFU and BAHATI from CDR; and GAHUTU andHAMISI-POKOU alias "Etranger" from MRND. Thomas MUGIRANEZA used to as#istme (by monitoring the situation and checking if I necded assistance).

.,

When I arrivcd at the roadblock, Col. Anatole NSENGIYUMVA came and told me that Iwas in charge of the roadblock and that I had to work earncstly. He then instructed tocollect a vehicle from my neighbours, the pdests. The priests were scared but ~::bxplainedthat I had been sent by thc Colonel. They gave me the vehicle and ~r/l~tumed to theroadblock. ~~ ~~:..

Major Apollinaire BIGANIRO, the Gendarmerie commander for Gisenyi, came to theroadblock and instructed us not to let any Tutsis or moderate Hutus pass. He instructed usto shoot and kill whoever we caught. He further told us that we were to work incollaboration with him and that he would supply us with ammunition if wc needed any. Wewere allowed access into the military base and Col. NSENGIYUMVA issucd us withpermits to bcar weapons. There was no incident at the roadblock between 13 and 20 Apriland we did not participate in the operations.

On 20 April 1994, Col. Anatole NSENGIYUMVA told us that the soldiers were keepingTutsis at the home of Bishop Aloys BIGIRUMWAMI. He instructed us to go and collectthem, adding that we should not bave any problems with the soldiers. When we got there,the soldiers disappeared and we loaded the Tutsis (twenty of them) into mini-buses anddrove them to the cemetery whcrc we killed them. I killed four of them, a man and threewomen, with my gun.

K005-2406 - K005-2413 Translat~l from the Fmnch 4

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In faet, among the twenty victims of that operation, there were two women who were veryclose to Col. NZUNGIZE, then commander of the Bigogwe commando training camp. Onewas_ his mistress and the other was his elder sister, a housekeeper at BishopBIG1RUMWAMI’s residence. A furious Col. NZUNGIZE who wanted to revenge, sent histroops to look for those responsible for the women’s death. Thomas MUGIRANEZA and Iwent hîding in Juvenal UWILINGIMANA and Joseph NZIRORERA’s rooms at theMéridien hotel. Col. NSENGIYUMVA and Joseph NZIRORERA met Col. NZUNGIZEand the problem was sorted out.

Axound 30 April, Major Appolinaire BIGANIRO, the gendarmerie commander forGisenyi, instructed us to go to RWANDEX and collect the Tutsis there and kilk them. Hetold us that there were gendarmes there, who would identify the Tutsis for us. Those whotook part in the mission were Damas??, Thomas, MUGIRANEZA, BernardMUNYAGISHARI, Hassan alias "Gitoki", our driver Miehael ABUBA and I. When wegot to RWANDEX, the gendarmes showed us two Tutsi women, two Tutsi men and oneHum girl. The Tutsi watehman at RWANDEX wanted to deny us aceess by throwing agrenade at us, but it did not explode. Damas, Michael ABUBA, Thomas MUGIRAI~EZAand Bernard MUNYAGISHARI, beat the watchrnan to death, using stieks.**A white man who had a video camera filmed the incident. (It was said he was Frenchman)**

A Tutsi woman who knew me asked me: "Omar, w--’lïy do you do this?". I told her to remainealm and that she was not going to be beaten like the watehrnan. We took the two womenand the two men to the eemetery and we killed them. The Tutsi ~ who knew me(Longin RUDASINGWA’s second wife) was killed by Thomas, who s’glTot her in the head.The other woman and the two men were killed by Hassan alias "Gitoki"s body guard (nameunknown).

After this massacre, commander BIGANIRO came round to check whether the operationhad been sueeessfully accomplished. He told us to continue with the operation, as therewere Tutsis in the eells, whom we had to kill that night.

We went to the eells and file guards allowed us to take away the Tutsis (the guards hadbeen instrueted by BIGANIRO to let us do our work). We left the eells with ten Tutsis andtook them to the publie eemetery. We told them we were taking them to Rubavu communefor their safety. They were hot aware that ,,ve were taking them to the eemetery. (The term"publie eemetery" was the code naine given to the lnterahamwe by BourgmestreMPOZEMBIZI to denote where the massacres were to take place.)

We killed the ten Tutsis when we arrived at the eemetery. I did not kill anyone. I gave mygun to my younger brother, Feruzi AYABAGABO, who took part in the killing. He waswith usas my bodyguard. Commander BIGANIRO came to sec us and said that we had tocarry on with what we were doing. He instrueted us to go to Nyundo and continue killing.But I retumed to the "corniche" customs roadblock.

K005-2406 - K005-2413 Translated from the Frcnch

During the night, Col. NZUNGIZE sent a soldier to ldll me. The guard at the (customs)border came and told me that some suspicious person wanted to see me. I took my gun,appr0ached the soldier and searched him. He had a pistol and a grenade. He started mnningtowards the Zaire border and I opened tire, hitting him in the legs. I askè’d the Zaireansoldiers to look for him.

The General in Goma, who was at the immigration post at the border, heard the shots andtelephoned Col. NSENGIYUMVA to ask what was happening. The Colonel arrived anhour later and asked me what had happened, as the Zaireans elaimed that shots had beenfired in their direction. I showed Col. NSENGIYUMVA the soldier’s mission warrant,whieh he had dropped. The warrant had bëen signed by Col. NZUNGIZE, instructing thesoldier to kill Thomas MUGIRANEZA and myself. The soldier w~ subsequently arrestedby the Zaireans and handed over to the gendarmerie for questioning. I went to bed andwhen I woke up, Col. Anatole NSENGIYUMVA reassured me that ail would be fine withCol. NZUNGIZE. Our group did not carry out any other operation.

From late April to late May, I was at the "corniche" roadblock, searchifig buses and othervehicles, in order to identify Tutsis. We did not find any during that period.

Around late May or early June, Joseph NZIRORERA told us that some Tutsis and Hut~from Kigaii had corne to Gisenyi and that we had to trace them and kill them. He furthertold us that Radio RTLM was now based in Gisenyi and that he would keep us reforme.d-ofwhere the Tutsis and moderate Hutus were hiding.

After that meeting, I ,,vent back to the roadblock. I got a telephone call from Juvenal ~"UWILINGIMANA, who asked me to go and get Longin RUDASINGWA’s wife who washiding in Fabien NSENGIYUMVA’s house in Gisenyi, and kill her. ThomasMUGIRANEZA and I went for the woman and took ber to the Méridien hotel foridentification. Col. NSENGIYUMVA told us not to waste time with her. He ordered thatwe take her to the eemetery and get rid of ber. We took her to the cemetery where a FARlieutenant (named RWABUHIHI) recognised her and killed her with a buUet in the head.We then retumed to Palm Beach hotel to report to NZIRORERA and Col.NSENGIYUMVA that the issue of the woman was over. They congratulated us for a jobwell donc.

L

About a week later, radio RTLM made a description of Stanis SIMBIZI. When he arrived

at the roadblock, he was recognised by the President’s brother-in-law, Prot~ZIGIRANYIRAZO alias "Z". I arrested him and handed him over to Thorrl~MUGIRANEZA, who took him to the cemetery where, according to what Thomas told mk-y~KIVENGE (son of Yussuf Fataki) killed him with a machete. :~

t

Towards the end of June, Col. NSENGIYUMVA summoned ail of us to the Gisenyimilitary barracks and told us that ammunition was available and asked us to recruit youthsto go and fight in Gitarama and Kigaii. Rashid GAHUTU and I plied the roads in a vehicleequipped with a megaphone. We went around Gisenyi and Byahi, where GAHUTU calledupon the youth to report to Umuganda stadium. At the stadium, Col. NSENGIYUMVA

K005-2406 - K005-2413 Translatcd from th¢ Frcnch 6

told the youths that arms and ammunition were available for fighting the Tutsis in Kigali.He said that buses were ready te convey the youths te Kigali. Three busloads left forKig~i. I retumed te the roadblock after the meeting.

At about 6.30 p.m., I went te eat and drink in drink at Palm Beach hotel with ofmy brotherAbass HABYARIMANA. There, we round Félicien NSENGIMANA (Director in thePresidency), BAGOSORA’s son-in-iaw (naine unknown) and Charles BACURUWIHA.BAGOSORA’s brother-in-law told us that a Tutsi named Edouard NTAGA~URA (anaccountant with TRANSINTRA in Kigali), was in Gisenyi and had a lot ’~f money(500,000) and RPF files. My brother and I went te the house where NTAGANIRA was. Fieintroduced himself and my brother put him in the pick-up truck. As we left, the neigh~«»ursshouted: "The boy is going te die immediately, even though he is alItum". We took him temy house. In the meantime, the housekeeper next door telephoaed Col. NSNGIYUMVAand told him that something scandalous was happening. The Colonel rang te inform methat the local population was bardcading the roads and that I had te take NTAGANIRA tethe military barracks. When I retumed te the room where I had left,F_,douard and mybrother, I asked what had happened. My brother had cut offthe lower~a~-t of Edouard’s earwith a knife, because he said he had no money. We went te the military barracks where wemet Col. NSNGIYUMVA. We handed over Edouard te the soldiers and leit.

The day the French troops arrived in Gisenyi (8 July 1994?), I lefl the roadblock and wentte Palm Beach hotel. I saw the French troops at the round-about and I noticed that one ofthe drivers was a Tutsi soldier (called KAJUGUJUGU) frein the RPF. I left the hotel andasked KAJUGUJUGU: "what have you come te de here?". He did net reply. I left for theroadblock and on my way, I met Enoch KAYONDE and I told him what I had just seen.KAYONDE was already aware of what was happening. I told him that I was retuming tethe roadblock te ensure that KAJUGUJUGU did net go back te Zaire. I blockid the ~adand refused te open when flac French soldiers and journalists arrived. By thenKAJUGUJUGU was no longer drivîng, but travelling in a military jeep driven by ajournalist. I told the French soldiers that KAJUGUJUGU could net be allowed te crossover, as he was a Tutsi soldier. The French soldiers conferred for about two te threeminutes, then they left the Tutsi soldier with us and crossed te Zaire. Later on, KAYONDEaccompanied by soldiers of the Presidential Guard came and I handed KAJUGUJUGU tethem.

The French and the Zairean immigration officers were monitoring the situation frein theirside of the border. Se they came te the roadblock with the North Kivu govemor,MOTOMUPENDA, te tell me that the boy was a Zairean and that I should hand him overte them. I tÇlephoned CoL NSENGIYUMVA and briefed him on the situation. He thencame te the roadblock and discussed with the govemor for ten minutes, after which theColonel instructed us te release KAJUGUJUGU te the governor, which we did.

During this period, I had hidden a Tutsi woman and her four children in my house (abusinessman from Kigali, Jean Claude NDAMIYE, had asked me te hide them and helpthem cross over te Zaire). I also had two boys living with me, namely, Joseph BenjaminNIWE (son of MBONABARYI) and his brother Gaston MBONABARYI. One day (I

K005-2406 - K005-2413 TranslateM from th¢ Fr¢n¢h7

remember the date), the two boys together with BAGOSORA’s son named Vicky, wantedto kill the woman and her four children. I told them that I was the boss in my house and assuch I had to decide their fate. I cooled down the situation and I helped the family crossover to Zaire that very evening.

One day, in late June, I was ai flac "corniche" roadblock when a truck carrying bdcks wasretuming to Zaire. I checked the truck and round a Tutsi youfla hidden in flae load of bricks.I arrested the young man (naine unknown) and handed him over to BernardMUNYAGISHARI and Thomas MUGIRANEZA. I do not know what happened to flacyoung man, but I think he was killed.

In June, Emmanuel MUSONERA’s wife was hiding at the pdests" residence. The soldierscame to my bouse a/ter seeing the lady’s car parked in my compound. They wanted to takethe car. At the saine time, four lnterahamwe (armed with machetes and knives) came to rriyhouse and asked for the woman’s whereabouts. I told them I did not know where she was.In flae meantime, the priests were watching what was happening. They rang me and askedwhat to do, for the lady was in their bouse. I asked flaem to keep calm and reassured themflaat I would handle the situation. However, someone overheard the conversation and thesoldiers went to the priests’ house to pick the lady. As they came out, I asked one soldier:"What do you want from the woman?". They wanted the car and money. The lnterahamwewanted to kill ber. I reassured the lady and I gave 50,000 francs to the lnterahamwe and thesoldiers left with the car. The lady stayed in my house and I helped ber cross the border toZaire during the night.

My two brothers I memioned above died during the war.

This statemem was read to me by investigator Jean BASTRACHE, in the presenclbfRejean TREMBLAY. I signed it freely and voluntarily, without duress or promise, Wellaware that it may be used in evidence against me.

Signed in Nairobi, Kenya, on 3 February 1998.

Jean BASTRACHE

Omar SERUSHAGO

Rejean TREMBLAY

K005-2406 - K005-2413 Translated ffom the French 8

Ko~ 844s3

L! .t

UNITED NATIONS NATIONS UNIES.,

International Criminal Tribunal for RwandaTribunal pénal international pour le Rwanda

WITNESS STATEMENT

Date of interview: 16, 17 and 19 June 2001

Place of interview: Annex of the Arnsha Detention Facility

Language used in interview: French

Name of interviewers(s): Martin SEUTCHEU

Other persons present dttring the interview: Don Webster

Naine ofinterpreters used in the interview:

I: IDENTIFICATION OF WITNESS

1) Last Name: SERUSHAGOFirst Name: OmarNickname:

2) Date ofbirth: 24 April 1961

3) Religion: Moslem

4) Nationality: Rwandan

5) Ethnic origin: Hutu

6) Occupation:

Age: Sex: M

In April 1994: TraderCurrent: Detainee at ICTR

K0184062 Translated from the French

K01 844 54

7) Address:

Place of birth Current In April 1994

MweyaCellule: Cellule: Cellule: "Corniche"

,,, ,,

Secteur: Gisenyi Secteur: Secteur: Gisenyi

Commune." Rubavu Commune Commune: Rubavu

Préfecture: Gisenyi Préfecture: Préfecture Gisenyi

8) Parents:Mother: Amina MUKAMUSONIFather: Faïzi SINABYAYE

9) Marital status: MarriedName of spouse: Pauline MUREKATETENumber ofchildren: Six

10) Language(s) spoken: Kinyarwanda, French, Swahili and Lingala

11) Language(s) written: Kinyarwanda, French and Swahili

12)Past residence outside Rwanda:Period:Country: Reason:Remarks:

13) Member of social or political association:Name:Function:Period:Remarks:

14) Name and address of a friend, relative or acquaintance:Name:Address:Relationship:

K0184062 Translated from the French

K01 844 55

I have met with the investigators of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwandaseveral times and I have already given them several verbal and signed written statements.The investigators in the Office of the Prosecutor requested me to provide further detailsabout certain aspects of my previous statements. I hereby fumish further information inresponse to the questions put to me by the investigators.

I know Promis ZIGIRANYIRAZO well; he was also called Mr. Z. Both of us hail fromBushiru, which is also President HABYARIMANA’s native region. Our parentsmaintained very cordial relations and I remember that his father [Gervais MAGERA]wanted me to convert to Catholicism. Mr. Z was also my neighbour in Gisenyi as one ofhis houses was near mine and not far from the "Corniche" customs post. It was quiteclose to the Zaire border. I recall that his house was guarded by some elements of thePresidential Guard (in 1994). He was considered as one of the most influential people Rwanda. It must be noted that as the brother of the President’s wife, he belonged to the"AKAZU", the hard core of power. His influence was predominant, even in Gisenyi,where Colonel NSEGIYUMVA was the commandant de place. ProtaisZIGIRANYIRAZO wielded considerable financial and political power. It was generallyacknowledged that he had a say in the appointment of members of government and seniormilitary officers. People in Gisenyi were of the opinion that Colonel NSEGIYUMVAowed him his appointment to head that military region.

During the 1994 events in Rwanda, I was in charge of the roadblock mounted at theborder, between Gisenyi and Zaire. It was one of the most important roadblocks, if notthe most important in Gisenyi because those who wanted to go to Zaire had to cross it. Itwas called the "Corniche" roadblock. The purpose of erecting that roadblock was to spotthe Tutsis and moderate Hutus deemed accomplices of the RPF and prevent them fromfleeing into Zaire. I was permanently at that roadblock where The Tutsis and moderateHutus were monitored da), and night. People were not killed at that roadblock.Whenever an enemy was spotted, my people and I led him toa place known as the ’redcommune’ for execution. The red commune was in fact a cemetery situated behind theUmuganda stadium, in Rubavu commune. The place was called red commune becauseblood was shed there. I do believe that Colonel NSEGIYUMVA himself coined theappellation (red commune). If I remember rightly, he used this terre at a meeting organised at the military camp in the night of 6 breaking 7 April. I did not attend themeeting, but Bernard MUNYAGISHARI and Thomas MUGIRANEZA told me about it.

,It was a devious stratagem, as they were going to tell the Tutsis that their identity wasbeing ascertained at the roadblock [or elsewhere in Gisenyi town] so as to take them tothe commune office for their protection. However, the intention was in fact to take themto the cemetery and execute them. To us the Interahamwe, the meaning of the expressionwas clear: the red commune denoted a place for shedding blood. Generally orders todetect and kill the Tutsis and moderate Hutus came from Colonel NSEGIYUMVA.

I recall that in late June 1994, when the interim govemment had moved its headquartersto Gisenyi, Mr. Z came to out roadblock. It must be noted that his residence was just bythe immigration post at the Zaire border, slightly behind the roadblock. Initially, he

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would ask us to work well, and encourage us to forge ahead, work efficiently; meaningthat we must kill the Tutsis. At that time, the RTLM [from Kigali up to the time theymoved to Gisenyi] put out a bulletin on Stanislas SIMBIZI, citing his narne andfurnishing information to facilitate his identification. Other persons such as EnochKAYONDE, Vicky (BAGOSORA’s son), Benjamin and his brother Gaston (PresidentHABYARIMANA’s cousins, being the sons of his uncle Noel MBONABARYI) ail ofwho were Interahamwe, as well as other people from Kigali wamed us that Mr.SIMBIZI, was expected to arrive and must be arrested. Ail those persons slept in myhouse, except Vicky BAGOSORA. They were ail dressed in military attire. Mr.SIMBIZI, a moderate Hutu, was the Director of the school printing press (IMPRISCO) Kigali. He was accused of being an RPF accomplice and he was wanted. On that day,besides me, the following Interahamwe were also present at the roadblock: Hassan,Thomas MUGIRANEZA, Bernard MUNYAGISHARI, Hamis POKU and GAHUTU.Some CDR party militants such as ABUBA, BAHATI and Lionceau were also present,and so were some gendarmes, two immigration officers (including KAHAYIZA whom was protecting, but who fled in late April), some customs oftïcers and one Callixte andthe "receiver-in- chief" in person. We were roughly fîfteen in ail. Right now I maybave left out some of the names of people who were there.

When Mr. Stanislas SIMBIZI arrived at the roadblock, he was in a blue-jeans suit with abadge showing President HABYARIMANA’s head pinned on his shirt. I noticed thatwhen he entered the neutral zone because the Préfet of Gisenyi, Dr. CharlesZILIMWABAGABO came to ask us to remove the roadblock at the same time Stanislaswas going through. I stopped him and, almost simultaneously, ProtaisZIGIRANYIRAZO arrived and told us that the individual in question was StanislasSIMBIZI. He ordered us to take him away and kill him, Considering the influence Mr. Zhad, it was out of the question to disobey him. Thomas MUGIRANEZA took Stanislasaway in a black Hiace minibus to the red commune. Some rime later, he returned toinform us that an lnterahamwe named KIVENGE, had hacked Stanislas to death with amachete. [KIVENGE was stationed in the cemetery to kill persons brought there].Protais ZIGIRANYIRAZO was still present at the roadblock when Thomas returned toreport SIMBIZrs death. Thomas brought back SIMBIZI’s passport with him. It isworthy of note that the Préfet of Gisenyi, Dr. Charles ZILIMWABAGABO, was alsopresent at the beginning of that incident and was angry because he thought that SIMBIZIwas going to be killed, seeing that he had been arrested at the roadblock. I date say thatthe préfet was against the killings, but Colonel NSEGIYUMVA would tell us that he(NSEGIYUMVA) had the authority together with his Interahamwe and that we mustobey them and not the préfet. We were well aware that we must obey Lieutenant ColonelNSEGIYUMVA and not the préfet.

I also recall that that the Presidential Guard soldiers guarding Mr. Z’s house were underhis orders and killed people in Gisenyi. I know this because one of them, a corporalnamed HABIMANA, who wanted to marry my sister at the time, told me that they hadstarted killing the Tutsis because President HABYARIMANA had died. Protais alsospent a lot of time in his house in Karago [just next to President HABYARIMANA’s] inBushiru, mouming President HAB¥ARIMANA. Protais also encouraged the

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Interahamwe who manned the roadblock just next to his house in Karago to kill Tutsisand moderate Hutus fleeing the massacres in Kigali. I got the information from Mr. Z’scousin [son of Elie SAGATWA’s younger brother called BUHIRIKE, who was a well-known trader in Karago and treasurer of the lnterahamwe there] while he was withPresident HABYARIMANA’s cook, a Presidential Guard corporal called Ananie, butwhose sumame I do not remember. I must add that the road from Kigali via Gitarama[through the communes of Satinski, Ramba, Gaseke, Giciye, Karago, Mukamira andGisenyi] was the only practicable route between Kigali and Gisenyi. Ail vehicles wereusing that route at the time because the road through Ruhengeri had become impassable[because of shelling from both armies].

It was common knowledge that Mr. Z financed the lnterahamwe at the national level. InGisenyi, ail the financing and training of the Interahamwe was coordinated by WellarsBANZI and Mathias NYAGASAZA [chairman of the Interahamwe in Karago] and itwould appear that Mr. Z was in direct contact with them and with Joseph NZIRORERA.

With regard to meetings and contributions, I recall that a series of meetings and deliveriesof arms did take place. That was around June 1994, when the interim Govemment wasbased in Gisenyi. A meeting was held at the Méridien Hotel [Izuba] in Gisenyi to discusshow to collect funds from businessmen to purchase arms for fighting the enemy [someother meetings were held at the MRND building]. It was generally agreed that the armsso obtained were to be distdbuted amongst the Interahamwe and CDR youths. As amatter of fact, the persons involved in this fund-raising drive were the saine people whooften supported the Interahamwe, namely Joseph NZIRORERA and MathieuNGIRUMPATSE. But it is worth noting that Félicien KABUGA, AugustinNGIRABATWARE, the Minister of planning and Juvénal UWILINGIYIMANA[Director General of National Parks, who was an MRND member at national level], wereequally involved. Influential businessmen from Gisenyi and other prominent people fromKigali also attended the meeting. At that time, in early Jtme 1994, Gisenyi had becomethe real centre of power of the interim government. Ail the important figures in thecountry had already left Kigali and the interim government had fled from Gitarama andas such, Giseanyi had become the seat of power in the country.

Another important meeting was also held at the Méridien hotel in Gisenyi. I think thismeeting took place after the one I mentioned above, during which Félicien KABUGAorganised a fund-raising drive for purchasing arms [the meeting during which KABUGAset the example by making a special contribution]. The meeting was attended by severalmembers of the interim government. I recall that NDINDABAHIZI, the Minister ofFinance who was a native of Kibuye [who requisitioned govemment vehicles - lorries,tractors, cars, etc. and sold them in Zaire to obtain money for purchasing ammunition],Joseph NZIRORERA, Anatole NSENGIYUMVA, Pierre BASABOSE [owner of a bigforeign exchange bureau] and Mathieu NGIRUMPATSE ,’tmong others, were present. Iam not sure whether Mr. Z attended this meeting. I must say that I saw Mr. Z at theMéridien hotel where he must have been in contact with Anatole NSENGIYUMVA andmembers of the govemment. But I am not sure whether he attended the meeting on thatday, though his presence cannot be ruled out.

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During the meeting, there was debate on the issue of purchasing and distributing weaponsin order to launch an attack on Nyange, in Kibuye. The Tutsis in that area hadvigourously resisted the attacks of the Interahamwe and the CDR youths and yet theattackers had been supported by soldiers. The meeting at the Méridien was thus meant toorganise the purchase and distribution of amas and ammunition to the Interahamwe ofGisenyi [and those from Kigali who were.around] so that they go to Nyange in Kibuyepréfecture as reinforcements in order to crush the resistance of the Tutsis. The arms wereferried in from Goma International Airport in Zaire in trailer-trucks which were meant totransport beer, under the escort of Lt. Col. Anatole NSENGIYUMVA. As a matter offact, whenever the arrns were being brought in, electricity would be switched off betweenGoma and Gisenyi for some hours at night to ensure they were transported in totaldarkness. "Streamers", a type of weapon similar to a grenade and which produces a hugeflame on impact, were delivered. Lt. Col. Anatole NSENGIYUMVA also issued fuelfrom the military camp for the vehicles that transported the Interahamwe to Nyange [andfor travel within Gisenyi]. I also recall that Lt. Col. NSENGIYUMVA gave me fuel forthe ONATRACOM bus I was using whenI went around with a megaphone looking forthe Interahamwe to be sent to reinforce Kigali. At one point, it was Lt. Col.NSENGIYUMVA who was issuing permits to carry weapons.

I will be at the disposal of the investigators from the Office of the Prosecutor should theyrequire further clarifications on my previous statements.

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