Innocent Sagahutu
Encyclopedia
Innocent Sagahutu is a former Rwanda
n soldier, who is chiefly known for his alleged role in the Rwandan Genocide
.
, Rwanda; he is of Hutu
ethnicity. Sagahutu entered the Rwandan Armed Forces, and by 1994 held the rank of captain. He was second-in-command of the Reconnaissance Battalion (RECCE) and commander of this battalion's A company, serving under battalion commander Major François-Xavier Nzuwonemeye
.
According to the indictment, between 1990 and 1994, Sagahutu and other officers conspired to exterminate Tutsi
civilians and political opponents, and helped to train interahamwe
and militia groups who committed the genocide. They distributed weapons and prepared lists of people to be eliminated. After the death of President Juvénal Habyarimana
in April 1994 and the start of the genocide, soldiers including those under Sagahutu's command assaulted and killed Prime Minister Agathe Uwilingiyimana
and a number of important opposition leaders, and murdered ten Belgian soldiers who were guarding the Prime Minister. The indictment accused Sagahutu and the four other defendants of conspiring to perpetrate genocide, mass rape, sexual assault, and murder; of giving the orders that led to these crimes; and of doing nothing to stop the crimes when they took place.
town of Skjern
in Ringkøbing County, on February 15, 2000. He had lived in Denmark for approximately two years as a refugee. At the time of his arrest, his neighbours described him as a "good family man" who lived a comfortable and quiet life with his wife Immaculée and their two children, an eight-year-old-boy and a twelve-year-old daughter, who both spoke Danish and were enrolled in a local school. He was arrested while "he bicycled home from shopping for groceries in a nearby supermarket."
He was transferred to the authority of the ICTR on November 24, 2000, and his trial began on September 20, 2004.
In May 2011, Sagahutu and other ringleaders were convicted, and Sagahutu was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
n soldier, who is chiefly known for his alleged role in the Rwandan Genocide
Rwandan Genocide
The Rwandan Genocide was the 1994 mass murder of an estimated 800,000 people in the small East African nation of Rwanda. Over the course of approximately 100 days through mid-July, over 500,000 people were killed, according to a Human Rights Watch estimate...
.
Background and role in genocide
Sagahutu was born in Cyangugu ProvinceCyangugu Province
Cyangugu Province is one of the 12 former provinces of Rwanda. It is now part of the Western Province....
, Rwanda; he is of Hutu
Hutu
The Hutu , or Abahutu, are a Central African people, living mainly in Rwanda, Burundi, and eastern DR Congo.-Population statistics:The Hutu are the largest of the three peoples in Burundi and Rwanda; according to the United States Central Intelligence Agency, 84% of Rwandans and 85% of Burundians...
ethnicity. Sagahutu entered the Rwandan Armed Forces, and by 1994 held the rank of captain. He was second-in-command of the Reconnaissance Battalion (RECCE) and commander of this battalion's A company, serving under battalion commander Major François-Xavier Nzuwonemeye
François-Xavier Nzuwonemeye
François-Xavier Nzuwonemeye is a former Rwandan soldier, who is chiefly known for his alleged role in the Rwandan Genocide.- Background and role in genocide :...
.
According to the indictment, between 1990 and 1994, Sagahutu and other officers conspired to exterminate Tutsi
Tutsi
The Tutsi , or Abatutsi, are an ethnic group in Central Africa. Historically they were often referred to as the Watussi or Watusi. They are the second largest caste in Rwanda and Burundi, the other two being the Hutu and the Twa ....
civilians and political opponents, and helped to train interahamwe
Interahamwe
The Interahamwe is a Hutu paramilitary organization. The militia enjoyed the backing of the Hutu-led government leading up to, during, and after the Rwandan Genocide. Since the genocide, they have been forced out of Rwanda, and have sought asylum in Congo...
and militia groups who committed the genocide. They distributed weapons and prepared lists of people to be eliminated. After the death of President Juvénal Habyarimana
Juvénal Habyarimana
Juvénal Habyarimana was the third President of the Republic of Rwanda, the post he held longer than any other president to date, from 1973 until 1994. During his 20-year rule he favored his own ethnic group, the Hutus, and supported the Hutu majority in neighboring Burundi against the Tutsi...
in April 1994 and the start of the genocide, soldiers including those under Sagahutu's command assaulted and killed Prime Minister Agathe Uwilingiyimana
Agathe Uwilingiyimana
Agathe Uwilingiyimana was a Rwandan political figure. She served as Prime Minister of Rwanda from 18 July 1993 until her death on 7 April 1994. Her term was ended when she was assassinated during the opening stages of the Rwandan Genocide...
and a number of important opposition leaders, and murdered ten Belgian soldiers who were guarding the Prime Minister. The indictment accused Sagahutu and the four other defendants of conspiring to perpetrate genocide, mass rape, sexual assault, and murder; of giving the orders that led to these crimes; and of doing nothing to stop the crimes when they took place.
After the genocide
Sagahutu fled Rwanda after the RPF victory. He was arrested in the DanishDenmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
town of Skjern
Skjern
Skjern Municipality is a former municipality in Ringkøbing-Skjern Municipality in Region Midtjylland near the west coast of the Jutland peninsula in west Denmark...
in Ringkøbing County, on February 15, 2000. He had lived in Denmark for approximately two years as a refugee. At the time of his arrest, his neighbours described him as a "good family man" who lived a comfortable and quiet life with his wife Immaculée and their two children, an eight-year-old-boy and a twelve-year-old daughter, who both spoke Danish and were enrolled in a local school. He was arrested while "he bicycled home from shopping for groceries in a nearby supermarket."
He was transferred to the authority of the ICTR on November 24, 2000, and his trial began on September 20, 2004.
In May 2011, Sagahutu and other ringleaders were convicted, and Sagahutu was sentenced to 20 years in prison.