The trial of two Genocide suspects, Pierre Basabose and Séraphin Twahirwa, accused of involvement in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, is scheduled to commence on October 9 in Belgium's Court of Assizes. Both suspects face charges related to genocide and war crimes, with Twahirwa additionally accused of rape. ALSO READ: Belgian court stays trial of Genocide suspect Basabose despite sickness claims Basabose, who was apprehended in Belgium on September 30, 2020, has faced challenges during the proceedings due to reports of declining mental health, as degenerative dementia has affected his cognitive abilities, according to reports. Nevertheless, in June of this year, a Belgian court ruled that Basabose would stand trial, despite assertions from Belgian prosecutors that he had been diagnosed with advanced dementia. Born in Ruhengeri prefecture, the 76-year-old Basabose is a former military officer and businessperson who once owned a prominent forex bureau in Kigali. He was also a family friend of the former president, Juvénal Habyarimana. ALSO READ: Who are the three men arrested in Belgium for Genocide crimes? Furthermore, Basabose used a portion of his wealth to become the second-largest shareholder of the infamous Radio-Television Libre des Milles Collines. Following the events of April 1994, he fled Kigali, embarking on a journey through Zaïre (now the DRC), Kenya, Kazakhstan, and Germany before arriving in Belgium. In a similar vein, 65-year-old Twahirwa, known by the alias Kihebe, was arrested on September 29, 2020. He hails from the former commune of Giciye in Gisenyi prefecture and was a leader within the Interahamwe militia operating in Gikondo. Additionally, he is a cousin of Agathe Kanziga, the wife of former President Habyarimana. Twahirwa, like Basabose, resided near the customs depot of MAGERWA. ALSO READ: Belgium arrests three Rwandan genocide suspects Following the genocide, he fled to Zaïre and eventually made his way to Belgium via Uganda. Currently, Twahirwa holds no legal residency status in Belgium. The trial is scheduled to run from October 9 until December 8 this year, with 40 Rwandan witnesses expected to travel to Brussels to testify before the court.
