Arusha, February 9th, 2005 (FH) - The 35-year old daughter and fourth defence witness for the former Rwandan minister, Pauline Nyiramasuhuko, on trial for genocide and crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), Wednesday said that her parents had never had any relationship with the wife of the late Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana.

Nyiramasuhuko, former minister of Family and Women Affairs, is jointly on trial with her son and alleged Interahamwe militia leader, Shalom Ntahobali, and four other accused from Butare prefecture, South Rwanda.

Testifying behind closed curtains, the witness, Clarisse Ntahobali said, “I never saw my parents invite President Habyarimana and his wife.” She also denied that her parents had any friendship with the presidential couple.

Some of the prosecution witnesses alleged that Ntahobali’s family had such a close relationship with the couple that Nyiramasuhuko herself and her husband Maurice Ntahobali were favoured with important appointments in the government service.

Among the various posts which Ntahobali held are, a ministerial portfolio, President of the National Assembly and Rector of the National University of Rwanda.

The daughter also spoke about Tutsi-Hutu ethnic hatred saying the family was never involved. “Our family never spoke about ethnicity. We all knew that we were Rwandan nationals,” Clarisse said in response to Guy Poupart (Canada), co-counsel for Nyiramasuhuko leading the witness in her examination in chief.

She explained that, although their family were basically Hutu’s, they had good relations with several Tutsi families. She mentioned a few names including three university lecturers and a former Prefect (Governor) of Butare.

Clarisse, like the first three defence witnesses who preceded her, attributed the killing and attacks in Rwanda between 1990 and 1994 to the former Rwandese Patriotic Front (RPF), now in power in Rwanda. The defence started its case on January 31, 2005.

The testimony of this witness continues on Thursday.

NI/AT/GF/FH (BT’’’0209e)

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