Augustin Bizimana (1954 – August 2000, Byumba Province, Pointe-Noire) was a

Rwanda Rwanda, officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of East Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator, Rwanda is bordered by ...

n politician who was wanted for his alleged role in the

Rwandan genocide The Rwandan genocide, also known as the genocide against the Tutsi, occurred from 7 April to 19 July 1994 during the Rwandan Civil War. Over a span of around 100 days, members of the Tutsi ethnic group, as well as some moderate Hutu and Gre ...

. Born in Gituza commune, Byumba Province, Rwanda, of

Hutu The Hutu (), also known as the Abahutu, are a Bantu ethnic group native to the African Great Lakes region. They mainly live in Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda where they form one of the principal ethnic groups alongside the Tutsi and the Great L ...

ethnicity, Bizimana held the position of Minister of Defence in the government of

Juvénal Habyarimana Juvénal Habyarimana (; ; 8 March 19376 April 1994) was a Rwandan politician and military officer who was the second president of Rwanda, from 1973 until Assassination of Juvénal Habyarimana and Cyprien Ntaryamira, his assassination in 1994. H ...

formed on 18 July 1993. After Habyarimana's assassination, Bizimana became the Minister of Defence in the interim government until mid-July 1994. Among his powers were control over the possession of weapons by the civilian population, and control over the

Rwandan Armed Forces The Rwandan Defence Force (RDF, , , ) is the military of Rwanda. Prior to 1994, Rwanda's military was officially known as the Rwandan Armed Forces (FAR), but following the Rwandan Civil War and the Rwandan genocide, the Rwandan Patriotic Front ( ...

(FAR), the government's army. Bizimana was charged with 13 counts of genocide, complicity in genocide, extermination, murder, rape, torture, other inhumane acts, persecution, cruel treatment and outrages upon personal dignity in connection with the Rwandan genocide. Among other crimes, he was alleged to be responsible for the murders of Prime Minister

Agathe Uwilingiyimana Agathe Uwilingiyimana (; 23 May 1953 – 7 April 1994), sometimes known as Madame Agathe, was a Rwandan political figure. She served as Prime Minister of Rwanda from 18 July 1993 until her assassination on 7 April 1994, during the opening stages ...

, 10 Belgian

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

peacekeepers, and Tutsi civilians. Bizimana was believed to be a fugitive until May 2020, when

DNA test Genetic testing, also known as DNA testing, is used to identify changes in DNA sequence or chromosome structure. Genetic testing can also include measuring the results of genetic changes, such as RNA analysis as an output of gene expression, or ...

s showed that human remains from a grave site in

Pointe-Noire Pointe-Noire (; , with the letter d following French spelling standards) is the second largest city in the Republic of the Congo, following the capital of Brazzaville, and an autonomous department and a commune since the 2002 Constitution. B ...

in the

Republic of the Congo The Republic of the Congo, also known as Congo-Brazzaville, the Congo Republic or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo), is a country located on the western coast of Central ...

belonged to Bizimana. He was believed to have died in Pointe-Noire in August 2000. The Bizimana death constitutes a "great disappointment" for the survivors of the genocide, reacted Alain Gauthier, head of an association of victims of genocides in France.

References

External links

U.S. State Department press release about Bizimana
1954 births 2000 deaths People from Northern Province, Rwanda Hutu people Government ministers of Rwanda Defence ministers of Rwanda {{Rwanda-politician-stub

See also

References

External links