The long-awaited trial in substance of Felcien Kabuga, the financier and the mastermind of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi is finally commencing, in The Hague. This is despite all the delaying tactics and ploys from his defense lawyers.
Since February this year, legal counselors (some that include the likes of Emmanuel Altit) representing Felcien Kabuga have been in constant campaign to drag the trial feigning all sorts of sham excuses, like the fact that the suspect was not fit for trial due to his poor health.
However, in June this year, the UN court presiding judge Iain Bonomy declared that the 89 year-old former justice fugitive Kabuga was fit for trial and should prepare for a substantive hearing. The judge further ruled that Kabuga’s health would be closely monitored with a report of his health filed every after 180 days.
The chief financier of genocide against Tutsi, stands accused on a number of counts related to genocide, specifically genocide, complicity in genocide, direct and public incitement to commit genocide attempt to commit genocide and conspiracy to commit genocide. Other charges include persecution and extermination – both as crimes against humanity.
The faster the trial the better for Rwanda and more specifically for genocide survivors comprising of many widows, rape victims, people that lost fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, children, all kinds of family members, and all others that had surrendered to seeing Kabuga standing trial.
Should the judge expedite the trial in substance, there is high hope that victims and survivors will not only get fair justice they long wished to see happening, they will equally be happy to claim and receive deserved compensations.
Should Kabuga dies before being fully convicted, history will always remember him as the ruthless devil that bought machetes to kill innocent Tutsi, the financier and the biggest shareholder of infamous insidious Radio RTLM that incited killings live on Radio. He is equally known as the highest member of Akazu which was a nucleus group of political top brass that masterminded the genocide against Tutsi.
The trial of Felicien Kabuga, will be the latest precedence and a nightmare for genocidaires still at large, as well as their offspring that are engrossed in genocide denialism and trivialization.
The same applies to those that have been trying to peddle the “double genocide” false narrative.
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