High Court Chamber for International Cross Border Crimes will today September 20 deliver its verdicts on the Forces Nationale de Liberation (FLN) terrorism trial.
The trial, whose substantive phase began in February this year, is awaited by local and international media houses, activists, governments and most importantly the victims of the same terror attacks.
But, who are the suspects in this trial and how were they engaged in the offences?
1. Paul Rusesabagina
Rusesabagina is the main suspect in the trial as he is the founding president and sponsor of the MRCD-FLN coalition
The 67-year-old’s terrorist movement has conducted raids on Rwanda, claiming lives of civilians, wounding others and looting properties.
His factious movie, Hotel Rwanda, has earned him popularity on the international scene.
However, various testimonies of survivors of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi have emerged questioning the credibility of the story in which he purportedly saved 1,200 Tutsis.
He is now facing terrorism charges, some of which he already admitted.
2. Callixte Nsabimana
Before he fled the country, Nsabimana had been dismissed by the then National University of Rwanda-now University of Rwanda. He was a student at the university.
Nsabimana was the Spokesperson of FLN terror group, which has mounted terror attacks on Rwanda. As the outfit’s spokesperson, he claimed responsibility.
3. Herman Nsengimana
Born in 1980 in Nyanza District, Nsengimana was the second spokesperson of FLN after Nsabimana had been arrested. Nsengimana moved to Uganda in 2014 where he joined MRCD ubumwe and then FLN.
4. Angelina Mukandutiye
The only woman in the FLN trial returned to Rwanda in 2019 following the military offensive by DR Congo armed forces. She was a senior leader within FLN. She served as commissioner in charge of recruitment of female fighters.
Coming back to Rwanda, she had been convicted with a life sentence by Gacaca courts in absentia, over her role in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.
During the genocide against the Tutsi, she was an inspector of schools in Nyarugenge District and was a key figure in the massacres that occurred in different parts of Kigali.
5. Marc Nizeyimana
With the rank of Colonel, Nizeyimana was the FLN deputy sector commander and he was among the masterminds of the attacks carried out in Rwanda as his role was to select ‘effective fighters’ to cross Nyungwe forest in carrying out the attacks to destabilise Rwanda.
6. Félicien Nsanzubukire
Félicien Nsanzubukire alias Fred Irakiza is a 54-year-old military ‘General’ who was born in Murama cell, Kinyinya sector of the former Rubungo commune (Currently part of Gasabo sector).
He had the second lieutenant rank in the Ex-Rwandese forces (Ex-FAR) during the Genocide against the Tutsi.
After the genocide, he fled to former Zaire and became a member of FDLR-FOCA militia group where he worked as the commander of the 1st battalion that operated in South Kivu province of DR Congo.
In 2014, he was featured on the UN sanctions list with different senior commanders of FDLR, owing to the atrocities they committed in DR Congo.
Also known as Ahmat, Nsanzubukire was part of the group that splintered from FDLR to join CNRD that worked together with other outfits to form Paul Rusesabagina’s MRCD and FLN, its military wing.
He was arrested on February 9, 2017 in DRC on his way to Burundi where he was travelling as an emissary of FLN.
7. Anastase Munyaneza
Also known as Rukundo Job Kuramba, Munyaneza was born in 1968 in Nyamiyaga sector of Kamonyi District.
He enrolled in the then Forces armées rwandaises (FAR) in its 31st intake of the military academy and graduated as a second lieutenant.
During the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, he returned to his native area in the Southern Province where he was allegedly involved in the massacres of the Tutsi, according to sources.
He then left for FDLR and also joined CNRD Ubwiyunge before he was captured. At the time of his arrest, he was at the rank of Major General.
8. Cassien Bizimana
The FLN top commander was a key figure in the outfit with a task to smuggle weapons into Rwanda and recruiting assailants.
Bizimana had formerly worked with the FOCA militia, the military wing of FDLR, and later joined the splinter group that formed MRCD and later the armed group FLN.
Besides his engagement in combat fights, he also worked as a medic, treating fighters in case they were injured on the battlefield.
9. Jean-Berchmans Matakamba
He was in charge of mobilising more people to join FLN terror activities. He was also the storekeeper of the smuggled weapons from Bizimana and crossing them to Rwanda.
10. Emmanuel Shaban
He worked with Bizimana Cassien to smuggle weapons into Rwanda.
11. Simeon Nikuzwe
Nikuzwe is a young brother of Shaban who recruited him. Back in terror activities, he was also involved in the weapon smuggling chain.
And particularly, he was among the smugglers of guns and grenades that were used during the terror activities that FLN carried out in Rusizi District.
12. Joseph Ntabanganyimana
Also known as Combe Kalume Matata, Ntabanganyimana was in charge of helping fighters cross from DR Congo to Rwanda through water transport.
During the attacks, he assisted the assailants to come into Rwanda, facilitated them to buy a boat and showed them a good landing site on the shores of Lake Kivu, far from RDF bases.
13. Marcel Niyirora
Niyirora was a member of the FLN terror group and held different positions within the FDLR establishment including ‘company commander’.
He had been a member of FDLR from 2000 until 2016 when it was split and he had the rank of Major at the time.
After splitting, he went with “General” Wilson Niyitegeka’s faction, CNRD which later gave birth to FLN.
14. Innocent Ntibiramira
Ntibiramira was among the actors in the Rusizi attack and he participated in shooting civilian trucks on the road, and grenade attacks.
15. Jean-Claude Byukusenge
He was the supplier of grenades, guns, especially pistols during the Kamembe attack.
16. Emmanuel Nshimiyimana
He was a member of FLN who said he was kidnapped from school in the Western province and was smuggled into DR Congo with his hands tied.
During the proceedings, he often claimed that he tried to escape but was blocked by the DR Congo army which was bribed by the Rwandan terror outfit he belonged to.
However, prosecution charged him with being a member of FOCA, a military wing of FDLR since 2012 and later on CNRD.
17. André Kwitonda
He said that he fled in 1994 to former Zaire. Upon reaching there, he was forced to join the Congolese Army, and later FDLR.
18. Théogène Hakizimana
He is charged with joining an illegal armed group, and being part of a terror group. Not much is known about him.
19. Emmanuel Iyamuremye
During interrogation, Iyamuremye admitted to having had a role in the establishment of the FLN. But during proceedings, he pleaded guilty and asked to be integrated back into his community because that is where all of his top commanders are located.
He also said that though he was a member of the outfit, he didn’t participate in any of the attacks that were conducted on the Rwandan soil.
20. Jean-Damascéne Nsabimana
Also known by Motard, Nsabimana was among the fighters during the Kamembe attack and he was charged with assisting in the transportation of weapons to Rwanda and storing them.
21. Jean-Chrétien Ndagijimana
The 24-year-old is the son of ‘General Wilson Irategeka’. During the proceedings, he highlighted that he involuntarily joined the armed group at 18 years, because he was forced to by his father who was in charge of mobilizing all the youths above 18.