by Mary Kimani
The Church did not play an active role in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, a Catholic priest testifying for genocide suspects Elizaphan and Gerard Ntakirutimana today told the International Criminal tribunal for Rwanda.
The witness, Serge Desouter, told the court: "Like all people, I feel there were times we could have done more. This is the problem we face as a church, when we say too much we risk being thrown out, when we say too little we are criticized for it."
Desouter is the fourth defense witness in the trial against Elizaphan, 77, a Seventh Day pastor and his son Gerard, 44, a medical doctor. The father and son have denied participating in a massacre of ethnic Tutsi on the afternoon of 16 April 1994 at the Mugonero Adventist Complex. It is estimated that 5000 people died during this attack.
Elizaphan and Gerard face seven counts of genocide and crimes against humanity, crimes they allegedly committed at the Mugonero complex and in the hills of Bisesero, all in Kibuye Province.
Desouter was the president of the White Fathers Missionary Societies between 1993 and 1994. He testified that he visited Rwanda often between 1960 and 1968, finally settling there for 18 years between 1968 and 1986.
He said that from 1992 until 1994, the church persistently called for an end to the violence between the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) and the Rwandan Army.
"Obviously not everybody was listening to us. You have people who were honest and people who were bad. You will see what happened in Rwanda in April 1994, there were extremists on both sides," Father Desouter said.
According to Desouter, "the church was also wounded" in the genocide. "The violence set us back 40 years. On both sides, enemies were made."
Desouter estimates that 133 Catholic priests were killed during the genocide; 80 by pro-Hutu militia and 50 killed by RPF soldiers.
According to the priest, the "real" problem in Rwanda had nothing to do with ethnic hatred; it was a power struggle between the RPF and the government army. He said politicians played on these differences to achieve their political ends.
The witness denied that the church had any culpability in the genocide. "What were priests and pastors supposed to do to stop bandits from killing," he asked.
"The invasion of 1990 [by the RPF] was a catastrophe for two reasons. The ethnic aspect was introduced into the politics of Rwanda and weapons were also introduced," Desouter stated, adding, "the fight for power by extremists on both sides is what destroyed Rwanda."
Desouter explained that another key factor that led to the violence in Rwanda was the assassination of Burundi President Melchior Ndadaye in 1993. "For the first time, Burundi had an elected Hutu president and there was a wind of hope. In 1993, matters [in Rwanda] deteriorated, people were incited against each other; it [Ndadaye's death] was used to say that 'you cannot trust Tutsis," the witness maintained.
The church actively supported the implementation of the 1993 Arusha accords because "it was considered a way out of violence," Desouter told the court. He said the church in Rwanda issued numerous communiqués calling for an end to violence.
"The violence was not a result of ethnic hatred but extremists from both sides who used all means they wanted to take power.
They didn't have any respect for humans," Desouter said.
He said those responsible for massacres in 1994 were the government army, the Hutu militia and the RPF army.
Wallace Kapaya of Tanzania, prosecution attorney cross-examined Desouter. Upon conclusion of Desouter's testimony, the defense called their next witness, identified only as "No 7" for her security.
The trial continues before Trial Chamber I of the ICTR, comprising Judges Eric Mose of Norway (presiding), Navanethem Pillay of South Africa and Andresia Vaz of Senegal.