19 Years on, UN should investigate assassinations of former Rwandan and Burundian presidents.
Exactly 19 years ago today; 6th April 1994, in Kigali- Rwanda two presidents were assassinated shot down in a Rwandan presidential plane. Those presidents were Juvenal Habyalimana of Rwanda and Cyprian Ntaryamira of Burundi. They were coming from a regional meeting which was held in Tanzania.
After their killing genocide erupted in Rwanda and more than 800,000 people dies in around 100 days.
On a letter sent to the United Nations secretary Ban Ki-moon, Global Campaign for Rwandan’s Human Rights requested him to order an investigation that would shed a light on assassinations of those two presidents.
Investigating and bringing to justice those responsible of that terrorist attack would be giving justice to family members of those who were killed in that presidential plane and contributing to the justice for those who were killed during the Rwandan Genocide and other killings that occurred after the genocide.
Global Campaign for Rwandan’s Human Rights reminded the United Nations secretary that UN has already ordered and investigated the assassination of the former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto assassinated Rawalpindi on 27 December 2007 and the assassination of the former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik
Hariri assassinated in Beirut on 14th February 2005.
Rene Claudel Mugenzi the coordinator of the Global Campaign for Rwandan’s Human Rights said’’ If UN can investigate the assassination of Prime Ministers who were assassinated when they had left office, UN should be able to investigate assassination of presidents killed while in office. Investigating an event that triggered a terrible genocide is important in bringing justice and healing that are important and strong foundation for a much needed reconciliation and sustainable peace’’
Global Campaign for Rwandan’s Human Rights will run the justice for Habyalimana and Ntaryamira until is done starting Saturday 6th April 2013.
