Théoneste Bagosora
Encyclopedia
Colonel Théoneste Bagosora (born August 16, 1941) is a former Rwanda
n military officer. He is chiefly known for his key role in the 1994 Rwandan Genocide
. And for that, he is sentenced to life imprisonment by the ICTR.
, of Hutu
ethnicity. In 1964, he graduated from the École des officiers (Officers' School) in Kigali
with the rank of 2nd lieutenant, and continued his studies in France
. During his military career he served as second-in-command of the École supérieure militaire (Superior Military School) in Kigali and as commander of Kanombe military camp.
He was appointed to the position of directeur du cabinet (Director of the Cabinet) in Rwanda's Ministry of Defence in June 1992. Despite his official retirement from the military on September 23, 1993, he retained this portfolio until fleeing the country in July 1994.
, the president of Rwanda from 1973 to 1994. He was linked to ‘le Clan de Madame’, known later as the akazu
, a group associated with Agathe Habyarimana
, the president’s wife, who was rumored to be a Hutu extremist and related to very powerful members of society. He displayed a lust for power that was well known among extremists.
Although he was present at the negotiations of the Arusha Accords
in August, 1993, he never supported them and is widely cited as saying, once everything was signed, that he was returning to Rwanda to prepare for the apocalypse. Luc Marchal, a Belgian Colonel, who was Romeo Dallaire
’s Kigali sector commander, reported that Bagosora told him that the only way to solve Rwanda’s problems was to get rid of the Tutsi
.
Bagosora was responsible for establishing paramilitary ‘self-defense’ units, the Interahamwe
, that would operate in every commune in the country. These groups were to act in concert with the local police, militias, and military authorities. Bagosora was also responsible for distributing arms and machetes throughout Rwanda. Between January 1993 and March 1994 Rwanda imported more than 500,000 machetes, twice the number than imported in previous years. There were lists drawn up identifying people as enemies. The stage was set.
At about 8:15 pm on the evening of April 6, 1994, President Habyarimana was flying back to Kigali after a meeting when his plane was struck
by two missiles fired from the ground. The plane crashed, killing everyone on board. While there is no conclusive evidence as to who is responsible for shooting down the plane, Colonel Bagosora and the akazu are suspected by many to have been at the center of the conspiracy. Nonetheless, news of the President’s death was broadcast and the killings began.
After the assassination, Colonel Bagosora along with Colonel Rwagafilita gathered supporters and convened a meeting of a Crisis Committee. Romeo Dallaire
, the UN commander was invited, and arrived to find the senior leadership of the Rwandan army. Dallaire rejected Bagosora’s proposal of having the military take control of the political situation until they could hand it over to the politicians and he reminded him that Rwanda still had a government headed by Prime Minister Agathe Uwilingiyimana
. Bagosora responded that she was incapable of governing the nation. A few hours later, Madame Agathe was murdered with her husband by members of the Presidential Guard and the army. After Bagosora's failed attempt to have the military take over the role of government, the group proceeded to pick a provisional government. The interim government was a multiparty group, but all came from the hardliner sections of their respective parties.
Massacres began all over the country. Many prominent Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed right away, their names and addresses having been on lists. Radio Mille Collines
broadcasted incitements to murder. Trucks began arriving to pick up scores of bodies. On the morning of April 7, ten Belgian peacekeepers who had been guarding Prime Minister Agathe and who were witnesses to the government troops laying siege to her residence, were disarmed and taken to Camp Kigali, approximately 200 metres from where Colonel Bagosora was holding a meeting of military officers. The peacekeepers were murdered over the course of several hours by military personnel. During his testimony Colonel Bagosora admitted attending to the scene while the murders were in progress, although claiming he could do nothing to stop the killings. As anticipated, the death of the ten Belgian peacekeepers prompted the withdrawal of most peacekeeping troops from Rwanda, effectively clearing the way for slaughter.
Over the next 100 days, people were being killed at an astonishing rate. The number of dead varies from 800,000 to 1,000,000 people, depending on the source.
Upon the interference of Tutsi
army in response to the genocide, Bagosora fled into neighbouring Zaire
. “Fed and protected in refugee camps
supported by millions of dollars in international aid, the Hutu Power leaders were able to hold regular planning meetings and to recruit new members.” With Bagosora actively involved, they rebuilt their military structures with the purpose of wiping out the Tutsi population.
. In 1997, he first appeared before the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
(ICTR) in Arusha
, Tanzania
, to face thirteen counts of eleven different international crimes, based on the laws of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. The joint trial with three other senior military officers charged as co-conspirators opened on April 2, 2002.
During his trial further evidence was submitted that in 1991 he and other co-accused helped to draft a document where they referred to the Tutsi ethnic group as the "principal enemy" which was widely distributed in the army. They were also accused of supporting the media outlets responsible for spreading hate messages and making lists of victims.
The trial wrapped up on June 1, 2007, after five years, with Colonel Théoneste Bagosora still maintaining his innocence.
On December 18, 2008, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
found Bagosora and two other senior Rwandan army officers, Major Aloys Ntabakuze and Colonel Anatole Nsengiyumva, guilty of genocide
, crimes against humanity and war crimes and sentenced him to life imprisonment
. In ruling that life imprisonment was the appropriate sentence for Bagosora the three trial judges concurred that "The toll of human suffering was immense as a result of crimes which could have only occurred with his orders and authorisation." The tribunal court stated that Bagosora had been "the highest authority in the Rwandan Defense Ministry, with authority over the military" in the aftermath of the assassination of President Habyarimana
. The court ruled that Bagosora was responsible for the murders of Prime Minister Agathe Uwilingiyimana, the 10 Belgian peacekeepers who had been guarding the Prime Minister at Camp Kigali, the president of the Constitutional Court Joseph Kavaruganda, and three major opposition leaders, Faustin Rucogoza, Frederic Nzamurambaho, and Landoald Ndasingwa. In addition, the court found Bagosora guilty of orchestrating the mass killings of Tutsis in Kigali
and Gisenyi
. However, the trial court held there was a reasonable doubt that events prior to April 6 could only be explained by Bagosora conspiring with others, so he was therefore acquitted on a charge of conspiracy to commit genocide prior to April 6, 1994.
In the end result at trial, former Colonel Theoneste Bagosora was convicted of 10 counts of eight different crimes, including genocide, two counts of murder (one for Rwandans and one for peacekeepers), Extermination, Rape, Persecution, Other Inhumane Acts, two counts of Violence to Life (one for Rwandans and one for peacekeepers) as well as Outrages Upon Personal Dignity.
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 military officer. He is chiefly known for his key role in the 1994 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...
. And for that, he is sentenced to life imprisonment by the ICTR.
History and career
Bagosora was born in Giciye commune, Gisenyi préfecture, in RwandaRwanda
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...
, 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. In 1964, he graduated from the École des officiers (Officers' School) in Kigali
Kigali
Kigali, population 965,398 , is the capital and largest city of Rwanda. It is situated near the geographic centre of the nation, and has been the economic, cultural, and transport hub of Rwanda since it became capital at independence in 1962. The main residence and offices of the President of...
with the rank of 2nd lieutenant, and continued his studies in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. During his military career he served as second-in-command of the École supérieure militaire (Superior Military School) in Kigali and as commander of Kanombe military camp.
He was appointed to the position of directeur du cabinet (Director of the Cabinet) in Rwanda's Ministry of Defence in June 1992. Despite his official retirement from the military on September 23, 1993, he retained this portfolio until fleeing the country in July 1994.
Role in the genocide
Bagosora was born in the same northern region as Juvénal HabyarimanaJuvénal 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...
, the president of Rwanda from 1973 to 1994. He was linked to ‘le Clan de Madame’, known later as the akazu
Akazu
The Akazu was an informal organization of Hutu extremists, a circle of relatives and close friends of then Rwandan president Juvénal Habyarimana and his influential wife Agathe Habyarimana...
, a group associated with Agathe Habyarimana
Agathe Habyarimana
Agathe Habyarimana is the widow of former President of Rwanda Juvénal Habyarimana. Kanziga is part of a Hutu lineage that long ruled an independent principality until the late nineteenth century...
, the president’s wife, who was rumored to be a Hutu extremist and related to very powerful members of society. He displayed a lust for power that was well known among extremists.
Although he was present at the negotiations of the Arusha Accords
Arusha Accords
The Arusha Accords were a set of five accords signed in Arusha, Tanzania on August 4, 1993, by the government of Rwanda and the rebel Rwandan Patriotic Front , under mediation, to end a three-year Rwandan Civil War...
in August, 1993, he never supported them and is widely cited as saying, once everything was signed, that he was returning to Rwanda to prepare for the apocalypse. Luc Marchal, a Belgian Colonel, who was Romeo Dallaire
Roméo Dallaire
Lieutenant-General Roméo Antonius Dallaire, is a Canadian senator, humanitarian, author and retired general...
’s Kigali sector commander, reported that Bagosora told him that the only way to solve Rwanda’s problems was to get rid of the 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 ....
.
Bagosora was responsible for establishing paramilitary ‘self-defense’ units, the 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...
, that would operate in every commune in the country. These groups were to act in concert with the local police, militias, and military authorities. Bagosora was also responsible for distributing arms and machetes throughout Rwanda. Between January 1993 and March 1994 Rwanda imported more than 500,000 machetes, twice the number than imported in previous years. There were lists drawn up identifying people as enemies. The stage was set.
At about 8:15 pm on the evening of April 6, 1994, President Habyarimana was flying back to Kigali after a meeting when his plane was struck
Assassination of Habyarimana and Ntaryamira
The assassination of Juvénal Habyarimana and Cyprien Ntaryamira on the evening of April 6, 1994, was the catalyst for the Rwandan Genocide. The airplane carrying Rwandan president Juvénal Habyarimana and Burundian president Cyprien Ntaryamira was shot down as it prepared to land in Kigali, Rwanda....
by two missiles fired from the ground. The plane crashed, killing everyone on board. While there is no conclusive evidence as to who is responsible for shooting down the plane, Colonel Bagosora and the akazu are suspected by many to have been at the center of the conspiracy. Nonetheless, news of the President’s death was broadcast and the killings began.
After the assassination, Colonel Bagosora along with Colonel Rwagafilita gathered supporters and convened a meeting of a Crisis Committee. Romeo Dallaire
Roméo Dallaire
Lieutenant-General Roméo Antonius Dallaire, is a Canadian senator, humanitarian, author and retired general...
, the UN commander was invited, and arrived to find the senior leadership of the Rwandan army. Dallaire rejected Bagosora’s proposal of having the military take control of the political situation until they could hand it over to the politicians and he reminded him that Rwanda still had a government headed by 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...
. Bagosora responded that she was incapable of governing the nation. A few hours later, Madame Agathe was murdered with her husband by members of the Presidential Guard and the army. After Bagosora's failed attempt to have the military take over the role of government, the group proceeded to pick a provisional government. The interim government was a multiparty group, but all came from the hardliner sections of their respective parties.
Massacres began all over the country. Many prominent Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed right away, their names and addresses having been on lists. Radio Mille Collines
Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines
Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines was a Rwandan radio station which broadcast from July 8, 1993 to July 31, 1994. It played a significant role during the April–July 1994 Rwandan Genocide....
broadcasted incitements to murder. Trucks began arriving to pick up scores of bodies. On the morning of April 7, ten Belgian peacekeepers who had been guarding Prime Minister Agathe and who were witnesses to the government troops laying siege to her residence, were disarmed and taken to Camp Kigali, approximately 200 metres from where Colonel Bagosora was holding a meeting of military officers. The peacekeepers were murdered over the course of several hours by military personnel. During his testimony Colonel Bagosora admitted attending to the scene while the murders were in progress, although claiming he could do nothing to stop the killings. As anticipated, the death of the ten Belgian peacekeepers prompted the withdrawal of most peacekeeping troops from Rwanda, effectively clearing the way for slaughter.
Over the next 100 days, people were being killed at an astonishing rate. The number of dead varies from 800,000 to 1,000,000 people, depending on the source.
Upon the interference of 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 ....
army in response to the genocide, Bagosora fled into neighbouring Zaire
Zaire
The Republic of Zaire was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between 27 October 1971 and 17 May 1997. The name of Zaire derives from the , itself an adaptation of the Kongo word nzere or nzadi, or "the river that swallows all rivers".-Self-proclaimed Father of the Nation:In...
. “Fed and protected in refugee camps
Great Lakes refugee crisis
The Great Lakes refugee crisis is the common name for the situation beginning with the exodus in April 1994 of over two million Rwandans to neighboring countries of the Great Lakes region of Africa in the aftermath of the Rwandan Genocide...
supported by millions of dollars in international aid, the Hutu Power leaders were able to hold regular planning meetings and to recruit new members.” With Bagosora actively involved, they rebuilt their military structures with the purpose of wiping out the Tutsi population.
ICTR trial
Bagosora later moved to Cameroon with several other Hutu Power leaders. It was there that he was detained with André NtageruraAndré Ntagerura
André Ntagerura is a Rwandan politician. He is chiefly known for having been accused and acquitted of having a role in the Rwandan Genocide.Born in Rwanda of Hutu ethnicity, Ntagerura pursued formal education in Quebec, Canada....
. In 1997, he first appeared before the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda is an international court established in November 1994 by the United Nations Security Council in Resolution 955 in order to judge people responsible for the Rwandan Genocide and other serious violations of international law in Rwanda, or by Rwandan...
(ICTR) in Arusha
Arusha
Arusha is a city in northern Tanzania. It is the capital of the Arusha Region, which claims a population of 1,288,088, including 281,608 for the Arusha District . Arusha is surrounded by some of Africa's most famous landscapes and national parks...
, Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
, to face thirteen counts of eleven different international crimes, based on the laws of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. The joint trial with three other senior military officers charged as co-conspirators opened on April 2, 2002.
During his trial further evidence was submitted that in 1991 he and other co-accused helped to draft a document where they referred to the Tutsi ethnic group as the "principal enemy" which was widely distributed in the army. They were also accused of supporting the media outlets responsible for spreading hate messages and making lists of victims.
The trial wrapped up on June 1, 2007, after five years, with Colonel Théoneste Bagosora still maintaining his innocence.
On December 18, 2008, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda is an international court established in November 1994 by the United Nations Security Council in Resolution 955 in order to judge people responsible for the Rwandan Genocide and other serious violations of international law in Rwanda, or by Rwandan...
found Bagosora and two other senior Rwandan army officers, Major Aloys Ntabakuze and Colonel Anatole Nsengiyumva, guilty of genocide
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
, crimes against humanity and war crimes and sentenced him to life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
. In ruling that life imprisonment was the appropriate sentence for Bagosora the three trial judges concurred that "The toll of human suffering was immense as a result of crimes which could have only occurred with his orders and authorisation." The tribunal court stated that Bagosora had been "the highest authority in the Rwandan Defense Ministry, with authority over the military" in the aftermath of the assassination of President Habyarimana
Assassination of Habyarimana and Ntaryamira
The assassination of Juvénal Habyarimana and Cyprien Ntaryamira on the evening of April 6, 1994, was the catalyst for the Rwandan Genocide. The airplane carrying Rwandan president Juvénal Habyarimana and Burundian president Cyprien Ntaryamira was shot down as it prepared to land in Kigali, Rwanda....
. The court ruled that Bagosora was responsible for the murders of Prime Minister Agathe Uwilingiyimana, the 10 Belgian peacekeepers who had been guarding the Prime Minister at Camp Kigali, the president of the Constitutional Court Joseph Kavaruganda, and three major opposition leaders, Faustin Rucogoza, Frederic Nzamurambaho, and Landoald Ndasingwa. In addition, the court found Bagosora guilty of orchestrating the mass killings of Tutsis in Kigali
Kigali
Kigali, population 965,398 , is the capital and largest city of Rwanda. It is situated near the geographic centre of the nation, and has been the economic, cultural, and transport hub of Rwanda since it became capital at independence in 1962. The main residence and offices of the President of...
and Gisenyi
Gisenyi
Gisenyi is a city in Rubavu district in the Western Province of Rwanda. Gisenyi is contiguous with Goma, the city across the border in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The population of the city is about 106 000 .-Description:...
. However, the trial court held there was a reasonable doubt that events prior to April 6 could only be explained by Bagosora conspiring with others, so he was therefore acquitted on a charge of conspiracy to commit genocide prior to April 6, 1994.
In the end result at trial, former Colonel Theoneste Bagosora was convicted of 10 counts of eight different crimes, including genocide, two counts of murder (one for Rwandans and one for peacekeepers), Extermination, Rape, Persecution, Other Inhumane Acts, two counts of Violence to Life (one for Rwandans and one for peacekeepers) as well as Outrages Upon Personal Dignity.
External links
- Biography and trial proceedings, Trial Watch
- Théoneste Bagosora–ICTR