Mushayidi’s trial begins in the High Court

KIGALI - Deo Mushayidi yesterday appeared in the High Court to answer charges that include, causing state insecurity, working with a terrorist organization, FDLR, and using false documents. The FDLR is a group largely made up of remnants of the Ex-FAR and Interahamwe militia responsible for the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Prosecution, represented by Bonaventure Ruberwa, also accused Mushayidi of promoting Genocide revisionism and ideology and sowing seeds of divisionism. Mushayidi was arrested in Burundi and subsequently extradited to Rwanda on March 5, 2010. Prosecution tabled several documents including email contacts between Mushayidi and the terrorist group. Mushayidi’s former colleague, Samuel Nsengiyumva, who lived with him in Karagwe, Tanzania, had earlier testified against the accused. Nsegiyumva, who was Mushayidi’s cook, revealed that the latter was working with armed groups which were preparing to attack Rwanda at some point in the future. In his defence, the accused told court that he worked with the FDLR, arguing that the idea was not to overthrow the current government military but come into power peacefully. But he admitted that he was using false documents saying that he was carrying a Burundian passport because he never wanted to be detected. The hearing continues on August, 4. Terror network Mushayidi is said to be part of a wider terror network that includes renegade military officers, Lt Gen Kayumba Nyamwasa and Patrick Karegyeya. He is said to have been criss-crossing the region for months in a bid to set up a network for his armed group, PDP-Imanzi. Mushayidi has had a long history of alliances and collaboration with terrorist organisations targeting Rwanda.Before Mushayidi moved to the region, he was based in Belgium where he ran a toxic campaign against the Rwandan government on behalf of several organisations allied to the rebel FDLR and former senior members of the former regime. He claimed several times, on his internet postings, that he was carrying out military operations in Rwanda and that his headquarters were at Kinihira, in Northern Rwanda. Ends

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Mushayidi’s trial begins in the High Court