Simeon Nchamihigo

Siméon Nchamihigo (also known as Nshamihigo) was born on 8 September 1960 in the prefecture of Cyangugu in Rwanda. At the time of the events described below, he was public prosecutor in the prefecture of Cyangugu.

Siméon Nchamihigo was alleged to have organized and participated in a campaign against the Tutsi population and political enemies in the prefecture of Cyangugu. This campaign included: compiling lists of influential Tutsis and members of the opposition; identifying the persons to be executed according to the list; surveying and restricting the movements of these people, in order to facilitate attacks on them; supervising road blocks and handing out weapons to the militia.

Siméon Nchamihigo was also said to have organized and supervised the military training of the militia in the prefecture of Cyangugu. This militia later on participated in attacks on Tustis who had sought refuge in the communes of Hanika, Mibirizi, Nkanka, Shangi and Nyamsheke, in which many people died.

In April 1994 Siméon Nchamihigo allegedly supervised the setting up of road blocks, and ordered the killing of any Tutsis that passed by, on occasion mentioning by name those who were to be killed.

On 14 April 1994, Siméon Nchamihigo was said to have expelled Tutsis and moderate Hutus from the school in Gihundwe, where they were relatively safe. Subsequently, the weakest of them died of hunger, thirst and illnesses.

On 15 April 1994, Siméon Nchamihigo was said to have forcibly expelled Tutsis who had taken refuge in the cathedral in Cyangugu, sending them to the Kamarampaka stadium. Most of these people were never seen again and are presumed to be dead.

At the end of April 1994 Siméon Nchamihigo reportedly attended a meeting that was arranged to discuss and decide upon security measures. At the meeting, Nchamihigo was said to have asked if there were any Tutsis left in hiding who were still to be killed.

On several occasions during the months of April and May 1994, Nchamihigo was said to have ordered the killing of individuals, notably that of a young student (between 13 and 15 April), and an accountant from the prefecture, a business man and a Catholic priest (all between 28 and 30 April).

In July 1998, Siméon Nchamihigo found a job, working under the name of Bahati Weza and with false identity papers, as an investigator for the defence of Samuel Imanishimwe at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Rwanda (ICTR) in Tanzania.

Nchamihigo was arrested in Arusha by Tanzanian authorities on 19 May 2001 at the request of the ICTR Prosecutor. He was transferred to the Tribunal’s Detention Facility on 25 May 2001