Augustin Bizimungu
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Augustin Bizimungu (born 28 August 1952) is a former general in the Rwandan Armed Forces (FAR). In 1994, he briefly served as chief of staff of the army. During this time, he trained the soldiers and guerrillas who carried out the Rwandan Genocide. [1]
Bizimungu was born in Byumba préfecture, Mukaranje Commune, Mugina Secteur, Nyange Cellule, Rwanda. [2]
An ethnic Hutu, Bizimungu held the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the FAR as of April 6, 1994. That day, following the death of army chief of staff Déogratias Nsabimana in a plane crash alongside President Juvénal Habyarimana, Bizimungu was promoted to Major-General and appointed as permanent chief of the army. [3]
Upon fleeing the country following the RPF victory, he allegedly said "the RPF will rule over a desert." [4]
On 12 April 2002, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) issued an arrest warrant for Bizimungu, who was apparently working with the Angolan rebel movement UNITA. In August of 2002, he was arrested by the Angolan government and taken to the U.N. War Crimes Tribunal in Tanzania. [5]
Bizimungu is portrayed by Fana Mokoena in the 2004 movie Hotel Rwanda.
[edit] References
- ^ "ICTR press release about Bizimungu", ICTR.
- ^ Indictment against Bizimungu. ICTR.
- ^ Dallaire, Roméo. "Ch. 11: To Go or To Stay?", Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda, pp. 292-293.
- ^ "Rwanda's 'genocide general'", BBC News, 15 August 2002. Retrieved on 2008-02-06.
- ^ "Rwanda's genocide court to try 'big fish'", The Globe and Mail, 15 August 2002. Retrieved on 2008-02-07.
[edit] External links
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