By Edwin Musoni
The New Times

A human rights advocacy group, African Rights, has urged the Belgian Government to arrest Jean-Damascène Rutiganda, a genocide suspect currently believed to be living in Belgium.

According to a release titled ‘Jean Damascene Rutiganda, a free man in Belgium?’ to be released tomorrow, July 4, Rutiganda who was former Bourgmestre (Mayor) of Murama Commune (district) in Gitarama allegedly incited genocide and participated in several massacres, assaults and destruction of homes and looting of property in Murama.

The release further indicates that Rutiganda has never been charged for any of these acts and remains at liberty 13 years after committing the crimes.

‘Beyond its direct victims, the genocide has left Rwanda and its people facing complex and difficult challenges in virtually every aspect of life. On this day of remembrance, African Rights is launching an appeal to the Government of Belgium to bring one of the foremost perpetrators of these atrocities to justice.

Only by seeking justice, can the world help to end the history of impunity which underpinned the killings, and make good on its promise never to forget what happened in 1994, nor does its consequences’, the release read in part.

The release, based on testimonies by 32 survivors, perpetrators and local residents indicates that many of the massacres attributed to Rutiganda took place in May and June of 1994, after the initial weeks of the Genocide. ‘Most Tutsi men in the region had already perished.

Those who remained consisted largely of women, children, the elderly and the infirm. Most of them died at Rutiganda’s hands, at his behest or with his complicity,’ the report alleges.

The release further states that Rutiganda was deeply influenced by the genocidal ideology of Théodore Gakuba, a former soldier and the head of the Democratic Republican Movement (MDR) in Murama.

The release also alleges that Rutiganda helped in the establishment of a special militia known as Ibigashari, who carried out several killings in Murama.

‘He quickly began to put to practice what they preached. ‘He used his militia, the Ibigashari, to track down Tutsis all over his commune, Enock Kananura, a former communal policeman in Murama is quoted as saying.