On the night of 7 to 8 November 1996, Elie Ndayambaje and Joseph Kanyabashi were transferred from Belgium where they had been detained, to the Detention Unit of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR).
Elie Ndayambje and Joseph Kanyabashi were arrested in 1995, following proceedings initiated by the Belgian national courts.
On 9 and 22 July 1996, The Intemarional Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda requested from the Belgian authorities the transfer of the two detainees to Arusha.
Elie Ndayambaje was born on 8 March 1958. He was mayor of Muganza at the time of the crimes he is charged with, including: the attack carried out with the gendarmerie, the communal police, soldiers and civilians armed with traditional weapons and implements on refugees who had gathered in Kibuye. He himself allegedly threw grenades into the crowd. Elie Ndayambaje is being sought for: genocide, crimes against humanity and violations of Article 3 common to the Geneva Conventions and of additiona1 ProtocoI II threreto.
Joseph Kanyabashi, formerly mayor of Ngoma at the time of the tragic events of 1994, was born in 1937 in Butare. He is charged with genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide, direct and public incitement to commit genocide, and violations of Article 3 common to the Geneva Conventions and of Additional Protocol II thereto.
Among the other charges laid against Joseph Kanyabashi: the distribution of arms and ammunition to the conseillers of his commune and the military training of inhabitants of his Iocality with a view to commit genocide against the Tutsi. .Also, he allegedly ordered soIdiers to shoot at Tutsi who had sought refuge at the Maryazo dispensary .
The initial appearance of the two accused, Joseph Kanyabashi and Elie Ndayambaje will take place in the coming days, as soon as the Tribunal's Registrar, Mr. Andronico Adede will have assigned counsel to each of them.
With the arrival of these two new detainees, the ICTR's Detention Unit now has six prisoners: Georges Anderson Rutaganda, Jean-Paui Akayesu, Cement Kayishema, Obed Ruzindana, Joseph Kanyabashi and Elie Ndayambaje.
Moreover, the Côte d'Ivoire authorities have just informed the ICTR that they have recently arrested Gérard Ntakirutimana, son of pastor Elizaphan Ntakirutimana. The pastor himself was arrested in Texas (USA) on 29 September 1996.