General Dallaire challenged on credibility of UNAMIR informer
The defence counsel for one of the four senior officers of
the former Rwandan army (ex-FAR) standing trial at the International Criminal
Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), Monday questioned the credibility of General Romeo
Dallaire's alleged Rwandan informer in 1994.
Gen. Dallaire, the former commander of the United Nations Assistance Mission to
Rwanda (UNAMIR), was being cross-examined by Professor Peter Erlinder (USA) who
is the lead counsel for the former commander of the Para-commando battalion
based in Kanombe, Major Aloys Ntabakuze.
Dallaire had earlier stated that the UNAMIR had an informer within the Rwandan
establishment who had fed them valuable information. One of the major piece of
information was that some extremists individuals were arming militia in
preparation of massacres. The informants name was Jean Pierre Turatsinze.
But Erlinder raised doubts as to the credibility of the witness and the
information he supplied the peacekeepers.
"After you got this information from Claeys (Frank) and Colonel Luc Marchal, did
you perform any checks or investigations to confirm that the informer was a
reliable source or what his status was?" asked Erlinder.
Dallaire responded that he had no reason to doubt the informant. "I trusted the
judgment of Col. Marchal and Claeys", he replied, adding that he had also relied
on "the assurances of Prime Minister Designate, Faustin Twagiramungu, who had
confirmed that the informant was a reliable person".
While acknowledging that he had not met the informant personally, the former
commander said that the information they got from him did not vary much with
what later happened. He added that never-the-less "Claeys and Marchal had met
the informant in person".
The witness was continuously challenged regarding what action he took to verify
that the information was correct.
"I had decided I was going to put the guy to test by allowing him to show us
where the MRND weapons were and that he was a distributor who had weapons. We
would raid the premises because it was against the peace agreement", replied
Dallaire in response. He added that if the situation was going to be different,
UNAMIR would have taken a different action on the source.
Major Aloys Ntabakuze is jointly on trial in the so-called "Military I" trial
with the former director of cabinet in the Rwandan ministry of defense, Colonel
Theoneste Bagosora, the former Rwandan army Brigadier Gratien Kabiligi, the
former military commander of Gisenyi region, Colonel Anatole Nsengiyumva.
All have pleaded not guilty to genocide and crimes against humanity.
The genocide claimed the lives of an estimated one million Tutsis and Hutu
members of the opposition between April and July 1994.
The trial is being held in Trial Chamber One of the ICTR composed of Judge Erik
Møse from Norway (presiding), Judge Serguei Aleckseievich Egorov from Russia,
and Judge Jai Ram Reddy of Fiji.
Gen. Romeo Dallaire's testimony is expected to end Tuesday, when the 38th
prosecution witness, Major Brent Beardsley, will be auditioned. Maj. Beardsley
was Gen. Dallaires personal assistant in UNAMIR.
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