NEWS: Rwanda 'genocide' priest on trial

In 1994 the UN stumbled upon facts that would shake the foundations of human laws and put a very serious mark upon the Catholic Church. Athanase Seromba, a catholic priest in Rawanda has been accused of taking part in the slaughter of 800'000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus. He has just begun his trial in the UN War Crimes Tribunal in Tanzania.

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I remember studying this when i was doing my training, i have actually never felt so sick and ashamed of humanity when we are capable of the mass slaughter of innocent men, woman and children.

I know...this isnt the first time in history that this has been done...Hitler, the Romans, heck probably even a good few other ancient civilisations were accused of mass slaughter.

Hopefully this man and all who were connect to this will be brought to justice and sentenced to whatever fate they decide.

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[edit on 9-20-2004 by Valhall]

I was just looking at the extra footage and links contained on the main story page and i came across this film footage.

Id advise you to watch it.

I am telling you now it has DISTURBING SOUNDS AND IMAGES and not for the faint of heart.

100 days of Genocide in Rawanda

Ok guys...i know this isnt war related...it doesnt have anything to do with Aliens or whoever this John Lear guy is ok...but this is history we should never be allowed to be forgotten.

Here are some more links for those who actually care!

The Triumph of Evil

Human Rights Watch : Genocide in Rawanda

BBC Report : How it happened

National Security Archive: Genocide in Rawanda

United States Institute of Peace

The Economist : Story

The History Place : Genocide in Rawanda

All you have to do is type genocide in rawanda in google and u have over 40 pages worth of information.

I remember one of the main rivers there so full of bodies it left its banks. Somalia may have had something to do with the lack of outside help but I always felt it was $$. Not enough $$ to make military intervention acceptable.

The Balkans, because of their metals made sense. This part of Africa- ?

A sad stain on humanity. A small group of conspirators meeting in secret over a period of time planned and executed mass extermination.

Thanks for reminding us- I mean it.

And still...only one other person has replied!!!

look...i dont care about the points...but if anyone really does care then theyd reply about it or at least read it.

i know aliens and war are more important recently...but this is our history...how can we deal with whats coming without lookin at the past and gaining experience from our mistakes?

Im just saying...but come on people...were mena deny ignorance...how can we if were ignorant to the facts of our history?

The sad fact is that as was said there is no reason ($$$) for the west to be there, so that means no flashy pictures of heavily armed soldiers jumping out of blackhawks with apache gunships swooping down in the background on Cnn or the Bbc so no public intrest ( bodies and kids with their limbs hacked off don't get the attention). Plus as its in africa and as the leaders of the countries there don't give a # as to what is going on on their own doorstep the west's attitude is why should we? (look how long the situation in sudan has been going on before we started to take notice).

I don't know how true this is but I heard the reason they didn't go into Rwanda is because of what happened in Somalia in 1993.
It was supposedly decided after the Blackhawk event, that the military would no longer be used for that type of operation.

Its truly sick and horrifying that another person can and would kill a child, or even another person over a trvial differance. I'm busy right now but I am going to read those links over the next few days.

Thank you Gyrff, for getting us away from our fights about Bush and Kerry, or whatever and revealing this macabre reality that twisted people will kill those who do not agree with them . The victims will be in my prayers tonight and for a long time. I hope the men who did this burn for their crimes.

[edit on 9-20-2004 by JediMaster]

[edit on 9-20-2004 by JediMaster]

Have only just woken up, & won't visit the links provided until I have a caffeine fix.

I remember the Rwanda genocide well. For such an event that was spread over so many days, it received scant attention in our national media. I became aware of it via an "alternative" publication, which quoted in full, the heart-rending plea that was written by a group of soon-to-be victims. The plea started with the phrase - "We who are about to be killed tomorrow, ...."

That's when I burst into tears.

Well...if soldiers wouldnt go in...what about humaniatrian relief and aid...what about other means of helping....we basically let them slaughter 800'000 people cause we couldnt be arsed to get off our seats and to help.

If these men are gettin tried...so should we...for being neglegent in being a human being and not havin helped or havin compassion. we knew this was going on and we did JACK-S**T about it.

Were no better than those who commited the crimes...cause we had the power to save lives..and we didnt.

"A Roman Catholic priest accused of taking part in the 1994 Rwandan genocide has gone on trial at the UN war crimes tribunal in Tanzania"

So what about the other 100 or more at a guess of his stature,who Haven't
gone on trial the UN must know who these people are. Just putting this one person on trial just isn't enough for me and if he is found to be guilty he's no better than Hitler himself.

This was a tragedy and it didn’t have all that much to do with a lack of money in the region it has to do with a fundamental shift with how we view each other, here is an example. The local paper had a picture front page with a caterpillar pushing bodies into a mass grave; later in the week they had a picture of a trophy room, with all sorts of stuffed animals. The paper received over 100 phone calls for the trophy room and less than 10 for the bodies picture demanding that they stop running such graphic material.

Kinda shows everyone how small minded we can become!!

I mean is hunting or aliens more important than human massacres?

Keholmes....u basically said that people are more interested in the death of animals and downed spacecraft than horrors of what we failed to stop, We are the guilty ones...we had the power to stop it or at least intervene...and u know what stopped it...politics...the same damn f**king thing that stops all major descisions.

SO....as interesting as this battle for land and riches is in the middle east...why dont u guys open ur eyes and see that there is more out there than todays news...we have sins to pay for...and one day there gonna come back and bite us a good one!!

I agree with you Gryffen that the west has alot to answer for, but equal responsability must be attributed with themselves and to their african neighbours who did bugger all to help. They need to stop with their deep-rooted tribal attitudes and we need to stop selling them weapons. But that isn't going to happen as there are now african counrties with their own arms industries (south africa, Zimbabwe..) and we arn't going to let them have all the market.
I really don't think that there is much we can really do until the tribal mindset is changed, apart from what you have done which is to bring it too peoples attention.

once again thanks.

Actually you came to the opposite conclusion that I came to with the same end conclusion….the only reason it was eventually stopped was politics. There was no public support for it….politicians eventually found a way to get involved. That’s the sad part there was no voice for them but politicians.

All politicians do is sit on there comfy chairs and make decisions that are completely useless in practical use!!

I mean...all these political guys are connected to each country by contracts and agreements...the main one i believe is something like..oh wait..hmm..lets see...LIFE!!

They have the power to send us out into war and boss us about..give us orders to stand ground when attrocities like Rawanda and such others are happening.

Politicians are only out for one thing....self interests and the power to make desicions...they dont care who dies..they dont care who or what they push out there way to get at it. They have no idea what mess they make for others cause they live in a little place of fairyland.

Politics need a swift kick up the 6 and woken upto reality.

Before the crisis in Rwanda got out of hand, there was a force of 300 international troops (read UN) stationed there to monitor and attempt to diffuse anything which might crop up. Their commander was a Canadian by the name of Romeo Dallaire.
Lt.-Gen Dallaire requested another 2000 troops to quell the imminent slaughter but was denied by UN officials as well as world leaders. After the 800,000 people were slaughtered by the Hutu extremists, he recalculated it would have taken only 5,000 troops to stop it.

Recently he has spoken out again, this time warning that a similar situation could occur in Sudan.

Quote; "What should be done is outright intervention. When I compare it to Rwanda, there are so many similarities it makes you sick. Khartoum is getting away with slaughter and genocide, while the world reacts, as it did then, with embargos and restrictions."

The UN threatened oil sanctions against Sudan Sept 18 if it did not stop the atrocities.

Note: there are more than 1,200,000 people 'displaced and at risk', fleeing villages to avoid rape and murder by the militias.

So far, the violence has killed 50,000...over and above the beatings and sexual subjegation.

This is another one to watch...because just like Rwanda, we will all sit in our comfy sofas, go 'tsk tsk' and do nothing.

Or should we?

My letter is going to Ottawa Monday.

I like your attitude, your fire, ect.. but honestly, there's nothing we can do as civilians. And unfortunatly, we as civilians we pick these morons that run our government as well. Mostly because the only ones that 'can' run for the positions are well.. self ritious power hungry selfish people. Give me an alternative that isnt buried in bad publicity and I'd glady vote him in.

But unfortunatly in todays politics, its choose one moron for another :/

I completely agree with you that the blood of those 800,000 people that were slaughtered lays on America's hands as well as the killers. But, the buck stops at the Whitehouse, not our doorsteps. And theres nothing short of a civil war that would change that.

What else are we to do?

-I can write my congressmen, and he'll throw it away and mummble something about how theres nothing he can do about.

-I can take up arms and walk into Sudan and die

-Or I can sit here, helpless, and pray that my government which I have no control over, will get off its ass and do something.

I just thought i would so some updates to this report..it means a lot to me that people at least listen or read what attrocities we have seen or failed to take notice of because of politics. Its important to me cause we need to face our history and learn rather than hide from it and pretend it didnt happen.

Massacre at Nyarubuye church

It started nine days earlier, Rawanda's Hutu President, Juvenal Habyirimana, had been shot down when flying into the capital Kigali. This started a chain reaction which would lead to a total death toll of over 800'000 deaths in 100 days of pure horror.

On a spring day 10 years ago, as many as 7000 armed men marched down a small path towards the Nyarubuye chruch in Rawanda. Within 4 hours as many as 4000 members of the Tutsi minority and the modorate Hutus had been massacred. Within the ranks of the killers were two young men, Gitera Rwanmuhazi and his friend Silas Ngendahimana.

Here they tell there account of there involvment of the start of one of the most bloodiest moments in african history.

Massacre at Nyarubuye church

'Taken over by Satan' : a killer's story

In 1994, Gitera Rwamuhuzi and many others of the Hutu Majority went on a killing spree that would begin 100 days of pure horror and genocide.

After special planning and gathering weapons, as many as 7000 men began walking towards a small church in the village of Nyarubuye. One by one those in charge began giving orders to massacre everyone inside..only because they were a diffrent minority of the same race of people. He says he was 'taken over by Satan'? Was he...or was he just taken over ny the excitement of the kill and bloodshed?

This is his story: Gitera Rwamuhuzi's story


'Living among the dead'

Flora Mukampore was a young girl when the massacre took hold of her village, she barely escaped with her life when she lost 17 members of her family.

What did she do to save herself? She was pushed to the ground and knocked out, blood from victims covering her and concealing her breathing; only when did someone see that she was breathing did he curse and hit her over the head, knockin her unconciouss.

From between the 15th of Arpil and the 15th of May, she lived amongst the dead, lying covered and surrounded by rotton corpses, but it saved her life. She never knew someone would attack a church, as she was certain as a house of God it was sacred and safe. Her belief in God is now stronger than ever due to her surviving the genocide.

Here is her story: 'Living among the dead' : a survivors tale

related links

How the Genocide happened

Genocide in Rwanda

Story from the reporter

First Rwanda genocide suspect to be deported

There are many more links on the links provided..please read them.