Rwanda Genocide: Trial Resumes in Brussels

The trial of two alleged perpetrators of the Rwandan genocide, Pierre Basabosé and Séraphin Twahirwa, resumed in Brussels on Wednesday. Pierre Basabosé, a 76-year-old man, was unable to attend the trial due to his poor health.

He is currently hospitalized and is expected to stay there for at least two more weeks. This trial is the sixth in Belgium that is connected to the Tutsi genocide that took place in Rwanda between April and July 1994.

Both Basabosé and Twahirwa, who were close to the former presidential couple Habyarimana, sought refuge in Belgium. They are facing charges of “war crimes” and “genocide”. The trial is scheduled to continue until early December.

Pierre Basabosé has been in a Brussels hospital since last Friday, suffering from dementia disorders and partial amnesia. Additionally, he has a skin infection, likely caused by his diabetes, which required hospitalization. The trial is set to begin on Thursday with the questioning of Séraphin Twahirwa, who is accused of leading an Interahamwe militia responsible for numerous murders and rapes of Tutsi women.