Rwandan sentenced to 30 years for church massacre

Rwandan businessman Gaspard Kanyarukiga has been sentenced to 30 years imprisonment for his role in the slaughter of some 2,000 Tutsis in the Nyange church massacre in April 1994. The Catholic church in the Rwandan commune of Kivumu was burned to the ground, attacked with grenades, and bulldozed whilst Tutsis were taking refuge inside.

Dilly Lama

“The court states that it is beyond reasonable doubt that the accused and others planned the destruction of the Nyange church and the massacre of those that were inside,” read the sentence.

He is alleged to have conspired with alleged lass murderer and priest, Athanase Seromba, as well Grégoire Ndahimana and Fulgence Kayishema. Only Seromba has been found by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) to have at least partial responsibility for the massacre.

In his defence, an alibi pleaded that Kanyarukiga was not in Nyange between the period of 12- 16 April, although the judge threw out the claim after it was revealed that he had vested interests.

The Tanzanian based ICTR is responsible for bringing to justice those alleged to be guilty of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda that claimed some 800 000 lives, according to the United Nations.