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Interahamwe used children to unearth hiding adults, says witnessBy Hirondelle News Agency Interahamwe militia in the western town of Kibuye allegedly forced captured children to reveal where adults in the Bisesero hills were hiding during the 1994 Rwanda genocide. This was revealed Tuesday by a prosecution witness at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), where a former councillor of Gishyita (Kibuye), Mika Muhimana, is on trial for genocide and crimes against humanity committed against Tutsis between April and July 1994. The witness code-named 'W' to keep his identity secret, is a Tutsi survivor of the genocide who said he was a 17-year old student at the time of killings. He said that the Interahamwe were directed by the bourgmestre of Gishyita, Charles Sikubwabo; a businessman called Obed Ruzindana; and Mika. "Many times when they attacked, they would force captured children to indicate the hiding places of their parents or relatives", declared 'W'. "My own brother was taken by the Interahamwe and I never saw him again", the witness continued, adding that he had witnessed the accused kill many people including his 15-year old sister. 'W' claimed that most of the captured women and girls were sexually assaulted and mutilated before being killed."I saw Mika, Ruzindana and other Interahamwe militia cut off the breasts of captured students, and other women killing them by inserting thick sharpened bamboo branches into their genital areas", narrated the witness. The witness continued that even small children were not spared by Mika's killing frenzy. "Mika took a one-year old baby girl from one of the woman and smashed it on the nearby rocks and then killed the mother with sharpened stakes", he said. 'W' continued that Mika was specifically hunting a prominent Tutsi businessman known as Assiel Kabanda and had promised a reward for anyone who would capture him. Earlier witnesses had testified that Kabanda was captured sometime in June and that Mika had cut off both his head and genitals. His head was displayed on his shop's windowsill, while his genitals were pinned onto an electric pole. Mika Muhimana is charged with genocide and crimes against humanity (rape and murder). He denies all charges. The trial is taking place in Trial Chamber Three of the ICTR composed of Judge Khalida Rashid Khan of Pakistan (presiding), Lee Gacuiga Muthoga of Kenya and Emile Francis Short from Ghana.
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