Simon Bikindi

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Rwandan Genocide
Background
History of Rwanda · Origins of Tutsi and Hutu · Kingdom of Rwanda · Rwandan Civil War · Hutu Power · Assassination of Habyarimana
Events
Initial events · Nyarubuye massacre · Chronology of the Rwandan Genocide
Responsible parties
Genocidaires: Akazu · Impuzamugambi militia · Interahamwe militia · Hutu Power Media: Kangura · RTLM Radio
Response
Resistance: Rwandan Patriotic Front International Community: Role of the international community · UNAMIR Mission (United Nations) · Opération Turquoise
Effects
Great Lakes refugee crisis · Gacaca court · International Criminal Tribunal · 1st Congo War1 / 2nd Congo War
Resources
Bibliography ·
Filmography
v • d • e

Simon Bikindi (born 28 September 1954) is a Rwandan singer-songwriter who was formerly very popular in Rwanda. His patriotic songs were playlist staples on the national radio station Radio Rwanda during the war from october 1990 to july 1994 before the Rwandan Patriotic Front took power.

[edit] Background and role during the genocide

Bikindi, an ethnic Hutu, was born in Rwerere in the northwestern prefecture of Gisenyi, the same region from which President Habyarimana and many of the key figures in his MRND regime originated.

At the time of the genocide, he was a "well-known composer and singer of popular music and director of the performance group Irindiro Ballet." He was additionally a civil servant of the Ministry of Youth and Sport and a member of the MRND party.

In the months prior to the genocide, Bikindi allegedly “consulted with President Juvénal Habyarimana, Minister of Youth and Sports Callixte Nzabonimana and MRND-aligned military authorities on song lyrics” before releasing them to be played on the Hutu Power radio station RTLM. ^[1]

During the 100 days of genocide from 7 April to 14 July 1994, Bikindi is alleged to have participated personally in the killings, both in Kigali and Gisenyi prefecture, and helped to recruit and organize Interahamwe militias. ^[2]

[edit] After the genocide

Bikindi is currently under indictment by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). He has been charged with the following: conspiracy to commit genocide; genocide, or alternatively complicity in genocide; direct and public incitement to commit genocide, and murder and persecution, as crimes against humanity.^[3]

Following his arrest in Leiden, Netherlands on 12 July 2001, Bikindi fought extradition and requested asylum. However, eight months later, on 27 March 2002, he was placed in the custody of the ICTR. He has since entered a plea of not guilty to all the charges against him and is presently imprisoned at the United Nations Detention Facility (UNDF) in Arusha, Tanzania. After a series of delays, his war crimes trial is set to begin on 15 May 2006. He is represented by the chairman of the Kenyan section of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), Wilfred Ngunjiri Nderitu.