Juvénal Uwilingiyimana
Encyclopedia
Juvénal Uwilingiyimana was a Rwandan politician. He held office as Commerce Minister and as the head of national parks. He was an ethnic Hutu
and originated in Gisenyi
prefecture.
In 1989, he was appointed the Minister for Trade in the MRND government of Juvénal Habyarimana
. In 1994 he became the director of national tourism in the provisional government following Habyarimana's assassination.
victory after the Rwandan Genocide
, Uwilingiyimana fled the country. As of 2005, he was living in Anderlecht
, Belgium
, a suburb of Brussels
.
On 10 June 2005 he was accused of complicity in the Rwandan Genocide
by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
. The charges included incitement to commit genocide, complicity in genocide and murder. Following his indictment, Uwilingiyimana met with ICTR officials a number of times from August to November 2005, and provided information later used in the prosecution of other members of the former régime.
In response to his death, ICTR Prosecutor Hassan Bubacar Jallow
issued a statement indicating that "this individual, although an indictee of the Tribunal, voluntarily agreed to cooperate in the search for truth and justice for the Rwanda genocide of 1994. I convey my sincere condolences to his family."
The Chief Investigator of the ICTR, Stephen Rapp
, inquired that the last meeting with Uwilingiyimana took place three days before his disappearance. One week after his disappearance a letter appeared by Uwilingiyimana. In the letter dated November 5, 2005, Uwilingiyimana addresses the prosecutor of the ICTR. It has him saying that he will no longer deal with the ICTR regarding the genocide. The letter also said that he was being told to give false information in order to incriminate others. This included certain members of the Akazu
, and the leadership of the MRND.
There has been much speculation about his death. There have been mentions the cause of death could have been a suicide, homicide, or even the work of Hutus who were afraid of Uwilingiyimana testifying against them. Although, the ICTR claims that extra precautions were taken in him releasing any information to them. Uwilingiyimana was not officially indicted by the tribunal until a week after he went missing.
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...
and originated in 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:...
prefecture.
In 1989, he was appointed the Minister for Trade in the MRND government of 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 1994 he became the director of national tourism in the provisional government following Habyarimana's assassination.
After the Genocide
Shortly thereafter, in the wake of the RPFRwandan Patriotic Front
The Rwandan Patriotic Front abbreviated as RPF is the current ruling political party of Rwanda, led by President Paul Kagame. It governs in a coalition with other parties...
victory after 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...
, Uwilingiyimana fled the country. As of 2005, he was living in Anderlecht
Anderlecht
Anderlecht is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region.There are several historically and architecturally distinct districts within the Anderlecht municipality.-Pronunciation:* Dutch: * French:...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, a suburb of Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
.
On 10 June 2005 he was accused of complicity 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...
by 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...
. The charges included incitement to commit genocide, complicity in genocide and murder. Following his indictment, Uwilingiyimana met with ICTR officials a number of times from August to November 2005, and provided information later used in the prosecution of other members of the former régime.
Disappearance and death
On 21 November 2005, he disappeared from his home. His body, naked and badly decomposed, was found floating in the Brussels–Charleroi Canal on 17 December. His body was so decomposed that DNA evidence was required to identify it. His hands had also been severed from his body.In response to his death, ICTR Prosecutor Hassan Bubacar Jallow
Hassan Bubacar Jallow
Hassan Bubacar Jallow is a Gambian lawyer, politician, and jurist and has been the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda since 2003....
issued a statement indicating that "this individual, although an indictee of the Tribunal, voluntarily agreed to cooperate in the search for truth and justice for the Rwanda genocide of 1994. I convey my sincere condolences to his family."
The Chief Investigator of the ICTR, Stephen Rapp
Stephen Rapp
Stephen J. Rapp is an American lawyer and is currently United States Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues.-Career:...
, inquired that the last meeting with Uwilingiyimana took place three days before his disappearance. One week after his disappearance a letter appeared by Uwilingiyimana. In the letter dated November 5, 2005, Uwilingiyimana addresses the prosecutor of the ICTR. It has him saying that he will no longer deal with the ICTR regarding the genocide. The letter also said that he was being told to give false information in order to incriminate others. This included certain members of 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...
, and the leadership of the MRND.
There has been much speculation about his death. There have been mentions the cause of death could have been a suicide, homicide, or even the work of Hutus who were afraid of Uwilingiyimana testifying against them. Although, the ICTR claims that extra precautions were taken in him releasing any information to them. Uwilingiyimana was not officially indicted by the tribunal until a week after he went missing.