Habyarimana plane: French families denounce Kayumba Nyamwasa

This was barely hours after the plane had been shot down around 8:15pm on April 6th 1994. Its wreckage fell directly in the presidential compounded in Kanombe, Kigali.

The families of French crew who died in the plane carrying ex-Rwanda leader Juvenal Habyarimana on April 6^th 1994 have denounced the latest outburst from exiled Rwandan officials that they have new evidence about how the attack was planned and executed.

In separate interviews with French public radio RFI on Tuesday, July 9, Rwanda’s former ambassador to India Kayumba Nyamwasa and former member of the intelligence system Patrick Karegeya say they are willing to speak to a French judge about what they know about the attack. The plane was carrying Rwandan and Burundian leaders, and was being piloted by French pilots as the plane had been a gift from former French president Francois Mitterrand.

Two investigations have been conducted about that plane attack. The 2006 Bruguiere probe – which blamed the attack on the RPF rebels, was however dismissed and was not brought to a court of law. The Trevidic probe of 2012, meanwhile, which blamed the attack on Habyarimana’s insider network, who did not want him to negotiate with the RPF rebels, has been admitted. This investigation has been accepted by a French court.

However, years after, Kayumba Nyamwasa and Patrick Karegeya are coming to claim they have evidence. And the families of the French crew are particularly not happy, and they raised their concerns through their lawyer Laurent Curt. In an interview with RFI, Curt said it was inappropriate for the two men to use the pain of the families to “settle personal scores”.

“I do not want our old investigation to become a battlefield that turns into a settling of scores among Rwandans,” said Laurent Curt. He said that he expects such an initiative to hear Kayumba to have been the initiative of the judge.

One of the defense lawyers of the people, who were indicted by Bruguiure, Leon Lev Forster, was more categorical in his criticism. “Making revelations while the investigation has been going on for years, twenty years after the event took place, I believe that this has to be treated much more cautiously,” said Forster.

Both lawyers however indicated that they had trouble taking Kayumba seriously because similar witnesses have come forward to give what seemed like convincing testimonies, only to recant those years later. At least three such witnesses, who were considered key witnesses, have since withdrawn their evidence. One of them Abdul Ruzibiza, before he died, came out that all the information given to Bruguiure was fabricated. He revealed that all he wanted was to be able to obtain free entry to live in Europe.

Last year, French judge Trevidic did accept to hear the evidence of Theogene Rudasingwa, who is associated with Kayumba and Karegeya. He had also earlier come out to claim that he also had evidence, because he had been President Paul Kagame chief aide.

However, news emerged later that when asked if he could name the people who were involved in shooting the missile which hit the plane, he said: “I do not know”.

Asked also if he knew who were exactly involved in the planning process, Rudasingwa again said: “I do not know but I heard some names”.

The only element Rudasingwa had was a supposed private meeting between him and President Kagame in which the latter allegedly confided in him that indeed, the RPF had shot down the plane. Judge Trevidic considered this information as hearsay and submitted the final probe report for judicial review without including Theogene Rudasingwa’s claims. It is that probe report that is currently before court in Paris.