French judges have dropped a long-running investigation into a plane that was shot down carrying the former Rwandan president Juvenal Habyarimana. The plane carrying Habyarimana was shot down by a missile in April 1994, triggering the Rwandan genocide in which more than 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus died…..
The French enquiry was launched in 1998, at the request of relatives of the pilot, who also died in the crush.
It was initially conducted by a prominent judge, Jean-Louis Bruguière, who concluded that Mr Kagame – who led the RPF rebels in 1994 – had ordered the attack. In 2006, Mr Bruguière issued arrest warrants against several aides of President Kagame.
A judge accused Tutsi rebels, led by the current president, Paul Kagame, of the attack and arrest warrants were issued for a number of people. However on 21 december, the charges were droped
French prosecutors had recommended in October the charges be dismissed because of insufficient evidence against the suspects.
Lawyer Philippe Meilhac said that “they have to interpret this decision by French judges as a form of resignation faced with a political context which prosecutors did not know how to fight,Rwandan authorities have never sought to help bring the truth to light.”
By admin
January 11, 2019
