Protais Mpiranya

Protais Mpiranya is a Rwandan soldier, who is alleged to have participated in the Rwandan Genocide.

Background and role in genocide

An ethnic Hutu, Mpiranya was born in Gitarama prefecture. In 1993, he held the rank of major in the Rwandan Armed Forces and was second-in-command of military operations and intelligence (S2 and S3) in the Presidential Guard Battalion. Later the same year, he was appointed Commander of the Presidential Guard Battalion. [http://65.18.216.88/ENGLISH/cases/Mpiranya/ Indictment against Mpiranya] , from the ICTR]

The ICTR indictment alleges that between 1990 and 1994, Mpiranya and other officers conspired to exterminate the Tutsi civilians and political opponents, and helped to train "interahamwe" and militia groups who committed the genocide.

On January 5, 1994, the day that the Broad-Based Transitional Government specified by the Arusha Accords was to be sworn in, Mpiranya prevented the access of political opponents onto the premises of the "Conseil national de développement", particularly Lando Ndasingwa and his Liberal Party. This had the result that the only member of the Transitional Government who had been officially sworn in was President Habyarimana.

After Habyarimana's death and the start of the genocide, members of the Presidential Guard led by Mpiranya "tracked down, arrested, sexually assaulted, and killed" Rwandan Prime Minister Agathe Uwilingiyimana. They also took into custody 10 Belgian peacekeepers from UNAMIR who had been guarding her house, who were later killed. They were accompanied in this by members of the Para-Commando Battalion and the A company of the Reconnaissance Battalion, led by Captain Innocent Sagahutu.

Simultaneously, other members of the presidential guard and other army units undertook similar actions against other opposition figures.

On the morning of 7 April, Mpiranya was told by members of the Presidential Guard that Faustin Rucogoza, the Minister of Information, and his wife were presently being detained at the Presidential Guard camp. He allegedly responded by asking his soldiers why they were keeping them. Shortly afterwards, both were killed in the camp.

After the genocide

Mpiranya fled Rwanda after the RPF victory.

In an indictment amended on 25 September 2002, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) charged Mpiranya with "conspiracy to commit genocide, genocide, crimes against humanity, and violations of the Geneva Convention."

As of 2006, Mpiranya is still at large, though he is believed to be with other Rwandan emigrés in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or in Zimbabwe [cite news| url=http://www.zwnews.com/issuefull.cfm?ArticleID=19154 |title=Mercenaries join Mugabe's ruthless terror campaign |source=ZW News |date=July 15, 2008] .

Notes

References

*fr icon [http://www.trial-ch.org/trialwatch/profiles/fr/facts/p301.html Trial Watch: Protais Mpiranya]

External links

* [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/pix/b/wc/12335.htm U.S. State Department press release about Mpiranya]
* [http://www.cij.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=indictees&tribunalID=2 Information on indictees]