Kanziga Agathe Habyarimana, widow of the president of the genocidal regime, Juvenal Habyarimana, appeared Tuesday, November 3 before a Paris court for questioning in an ongoing investigation against a French army officer with ties old with Rwanda
She was questioned in connection with the investigation into the role played by Captain Paul Barril in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, according to reports in France
An undated photo published by Le Figaro, a popular French daily, shows Kanziga, wearing a face mask accompanied by a lawyer
Kanziga, 78, herself suspected of genocide, was allegedly summoned by an investigating judge in charge of this investigation for complicity in genocide
According to reports, Kanziga was questioned about her links to Barril, a former Elysée gendarme under former French President François Mitterrand
In 2013, the Paris prosecutor’s office opened an investigation into complaints filed against the role of former French military officer Paul Barril in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi
The complaint against Barril was lodged with the Tribunal de Grande Instance of Paris by three human rights groups International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH), French League of Human Rights (LDH ) and Survival
The groups want the ex-French commando to answer for its role in keeping a genocidal government in power to exterminate the Tutsi
Rights groups have filed a complaint on the grounds of Barril’s alleged complicity in the genocide against the Tutsi
The former French military officer notably concluded an agreement with the Prime Minister of the interim government of Rwanda, Jean Kambanda, for the supply of arms, ammunition, training and supervision
Barril is said to have been the secret man who supplied arms and mercenaries on behalf of the French government to the Rwandan government as the genocide against the Tutsi spread across the country in 1994
In 1994 Barril received US $ 3 million from the interim government to supply weapons and over 1,000 mercenaries to keep him in power as the massacre of Tutsis escalated
The contract was given to him by Kambanda, Prime Minister, currently imprisoned for life for genocide in Mali Barril was secretly sent by François de Grossouvre, adviser to former French President François Mitterrand, Rwanda some days before or after the genocide
On April 27, 1994, then Rwandan Defense Minister Augustin Bizimana wrote a letter to Barril requesting two specific supplies; weapons and mercenaries
Wife of former President Juvénal Habyarimana, Kanziga remains in France, despite an arrest warrant issued by Rwanda for her role in the genocide
She was one of the main members of Akazu, a small elite group that orchestrated the genocide against the Tutsi
Agathe Habyarimana, Rwanda, the genocide in Rwanda, Juvenal Habyarimana, Paul Barril
World News – AU – Agathe Kanziga before the French Court of links to French mercenary
Associated title :
– Ex- Rwandan & widow testifies in genocide-related case
– Agathe Kanziga appears in court French court for links to the French mercenary
