Rwandan rebel seized in Paris over war crimes

Published on Monday 11 October 2010 16:51

A RWANDAN rebel accused of orchestrating a humanitarian catastrophe against Congolese villagers in a blackmail scheme to leverage more political power for his group in Kigali was arrested in Paris yesterday, the International Criminal Court said.

Callixte Mbarushimana, a leader of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda - known by its French acronym FDLR - was taken into custody on a secret warrant issued two weeks ago by the Hague-based tribunal.

The court said he was charged with 11 counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes, including murder, rape, persecution based on gender and extensive destruction of property committed by the FDLR in 2009.

According to court papers, Mbarushimana and other FDLR leaders are accused of "having used violence against civilians as their main bargaining tool" in an international campaign to extort from Rwanda and the international community political power for the FDLR.

In a statement summarising allegations against Mbarushimana, the court said the rebels deliberately sparked "a massive humanitarian catastrophe" then offered to end the atrocities in exchange for political power.

"As a result of this deadly blackmail, victims were killed, raped, and forcibly displaced, and entire villages were razed to the ground," the court alleged.

The FDLR was established by former guerrillas accused of genocide in Rwanda's 1994 ethnic slaughter. After moving to Congo, the FDLR launched attacks on Rwanda aimed at ousting the government.

Mbarushimana, 47, is executive secretary of the FDLR, which is accused of killing at least 700 civilians last year. He is also on Interpol's wanted list for genocide in his native Rwanda.