Witness Describes Massacre at Rwanda Stadium

October 10 2000 at 03:25PM

Arusha, Tanzania - The trial of three Rwandan Hutu officials charged with masterminding the killing of about 100 000 Tutsis during the 1994 genocide has resumed with testimony of a massacre at a football stadium, Hirondelle news agency reported.

A witness, named only as LAC, told the court that Emmanuel Bagambiki - then prefect of the southwest city of Cyangugu - went to the stadium in Gisuma, where more than 3 000 Tutsis were gathered.

He promised to order soldiers for their protection, but "after about an hour, the soldiers came and surrounded us ... they asked us to put our arms in the air, and began throwing grenades at us at the same time as heavy gunfire rained on the crowd. A lot of people were massacred," testified LAC, who survived the attack.

After 30 minutes of shooting, the soldiers allegedly began to take belongings off the victims' bodies before leaving them at the mercy of Hutu extremist Interahamwe militiamen, who finished off those who lay dying, and then also helped themselves to their victims' belongings, he said.

Also standing trial in the so-called Cyangugu Group are the former transport minister, Andre Ntagerura, and Lieutenant Samuel Imanishimwe, a former commander of the military garrison in Cyangugu.

The three are accused of having "planned, incited to commit, ordered, committed or, in any case, helped and encouraged to plan, prepare and execute" the massacres of Tutsis in Cyangugu.

More than 100 000 Tutsis were killed in the prefecture over 23 days during the genocide, which claimed the lives of between 500 000 and 800 000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus between April and July 1994.

The trial opened on September 18, but was adjourned for 17 days on September 21. - Sapa-AFP

Source: http://www.iol.co.za/html/frame_news.php?art_id=qw971184301668B265&set_id=19&click_id=68