Callixte Kalimanzira was born in 1953 in the commune of Muganza, Butare prefecture, Rwanda. Being a close ally of the (interim) President Sindikubwabo and the Prime Minister Jean Kambanda (see "related cases"), he held several important positions in the civil administration. He was variously Sous-Préfet of Butare and Byumba, Co-ordinator of Agricultural services in the Kigali Prefecture, Director of the Rural Development section at the Presidency of the Republic, then Secretary General of the Ministry of the Interior and finally Cabinet Minister in the same ministry.
From 6 April till 25 May he was the acting Minister of the Interior, in the absence of Minister Faustin Munyazesa. Moreover he was a prominent member of the National Republican Movement for Democracy and Development (MRND), the presidential party. Consequently he exercised de jure and de facto authority over the mayors, district councillors, precinct officials, administrative personnel, gendarmes, communal police, the Interahamwe (extremist Hutu militiamen) and civilians.
Between end of March and May 1994, on different occasions and in various places, Kalimanzira was accused of encouraging the population to use weapons to kill the Tutsi during public gatherings. On one such occasion, towards end March 1994, a reunion was held by the local authorities in Nyamigango in the Gisagara district of the commune of Ndora. Here, Kalimanzira was said to have incited the population to take up arms as preparation in the fight against the “enemy”. He also reportedly promised to supply firearms to the population. In May 1994, in the Muganza commune football ground, where Bimenyamina Chrysologue (Mayor of Muganza) and Alphonse Nteziryayo (Préfet of Butare; see “related cases”) were also present, Kalimanzira was said to have personally demonstrated to the participants how to use a bow and arrows. Following their training in the use of weapons under his supervision these people subsequently took part in the killing of Tutsi in the region.
Between April and mid-July 1994, Kalimanzira visited Butare on several occasions together with senior interim government dignitaries in order to sensitise the population to the Government’s policy and incite them to kill the Tutsi. On 19 April, he was also said to have participated in a meeting of the interim government in Butare where the senior leaders issued inflammatory statements concerning the Tutsi, without him ever showing any sign of disapproval.
Between mid-April and June 1994, Kalimanzira was said to have incited the population to erect roadblocks to check identities in order to eliminate the Tutsi. He was often personally present at the roadblocks to supervise the operations and the killings. In so doing, on several occasions and at various different roadblocks, including one located at the border between the Muganza/Remera district and the Kirambogo junction, Kalimanzira reportedly made checks to ensure that everyone was carrying a weapon in order to kill the Tutsi and did not hesitate to issue warnings to those without weapons, including by harassment and threats of serious repercussions.
In April 1994, on several occasions and in various different places, Kalimanzira was said to have provided arms in order to kill the Tutsi. For example Kalimanzira periodically replenished the stock of knife like weapons at the Muganza commune office where these arms were distributed to the population under his supervision and used to kill the Tutsi.
On or about 23 April 1994, thousands of Tutsi civilians gathered on Kabuye hill in the Kisagara district of Ndora commune. Kalimanzira was said to have personally encouraged them to take refuge on the hill, promising them protection and food. Instead, with Kalimanzira’s full knowledge and in his presence, they were attacked and killed by the Hutu. In fact, Kalimanzira was reported to have personally sought communal police and military reinforcement to assist in the attack under his supervision. Thousands of Tutsi were killed on Kabuye hill.
In late April 1994, about 100 Tutsi, for the most part seriously wounded, were said to have been escorted by Kalimanzira to a roadblock at the river Buzana, at the border of the Ngoma and Nyaruhengeri communes. Kalimanzira was accompanied by Colonels Tharcisse Muvunyi and Alphonse Nteziryayo (see “related cases”) and a military escort. Kalimanzira decided that the Tutsi who could no longer continue the journey should be finished off on the spot at the roadblock, and ordered that the rest of the Tutsi be killed a few kilometres further away, at Mwirango. He was also reported to have personally beaten to death several Tutsi.
In early May 1994, Kalimanzira reportedly stopped at a roadblock located at the Kibilizi district and told those manning it to be discreet in their hunt for the Tutsi. At the same time he reportedly asked them to completely destroy the Tutsi houses and to plant banana trees on the land where the houses had been in order to leave no trace, and then to tell the Tutsi that peace had been restored so that they would come out of hiding to be killed.
On or about 5 June 1994, Kalimanzira, together with Colonel Tharcisse Muvunyi and some soldiers, went to Gasagara centre in the Muganza district. He was said to have incited the people to eliminate the Tutsi, including those who were “still in their mother’s wombs”. Later, in a speech to the public at the Gikondo commune office, he reportedly stated that all Tutsi who were still alive had to be killed. As a result of this order, 2 old women, 8 young girls and a dozen children were killed.
On 8 November 2005 he surrendered voluntarily to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in Arusha, Tanzania.
Trial Watch would like to remind its users that any person charged by national or international authorities is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
