Georges Rutaganda

Georges Rutaganda

Georges Rutaganda (November 27, 1958 – October 11, 2010) was the second vice-president of the Rwandan Hutu militia Interahamwe.[1][2]

Rutaganda was partly responsible for the Rwandan Genocide of 1994. Prosecutor James Stewart stated that "Without Georges Rutaganda, the Rwandan genocide would not have functioned the way it did."[3] He was on radio RTLM (Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines) in Kigali in 1994, encouraging Interahamwe Militia to exterminate all Tutsis. It was alleged that Rutaganda captured, raped, and tortured Tutsi women in the Interahamwe Hideouts in Kigali. Other accounts state that Rutaganda captured Tutsi prostitutes believing them to be witches.

During this time, Rutaganda was reported to supply his militia with stolen supplies from the Rwandan military. Rutaganda was arrested on October 10, 1995, and transferred to Arusha, Tanzania, on May 26, 1996. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for genocide, crimes against humanity and murder.

He died from illness in Benin, where he was serving his sentence, on October 11, 2010.[4]

Rutaganda was portrayed by Hakeem Kae-Kazim in the historical drama film Hotel Rwanda.[5]

References

  1. ↑ Des Forges, Alison (March 1999). Leave None to Tell the Story: Genocide in Rwanda – The Organization → The Militia. New York: Human Rights Watch. ISBN 1-56432-171-1. Phénéas Ruhumuriza, first vice-president, George Rutaganda, second vice president...
  2. ↑ "Georges Anderson Nderubumwe Rutaganda". TRIAL International.
  3. ↑ "Life sentence for Rwanda genocide leader". BBC News. 1999-12-06. Retrieved 2009-04-04.
  4. ↑ http://www.rfi.fr/afrique/20101013-ancien-chef-milicien-rwandais-georges-rutaganda-est-decede-benin
  5. ↑ "George Rutaganda (Character)". IMDB. Retrieved 2009-04-02.
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