The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) Office of the Prosecutor, today May 12, confirms the death of former Commander of Presidential Guard of Rwanda, Major Protais Mpiranya, who was alleged to have been a senior leader of 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.
This confirmation comes after the release of result from the Netherlands Forensic Institute, which conducted the DNA analysis of Mpiranya’s remains.
Following a ‘challenging and intensive’ investigation, Office of the Prosecutor has determined that Mpiranya died on October 5, 2006 in Zimbabwe’s capital city, Harare, where he stayed.
Mpiranya charged by ICTR with eight counts of genocide, complicity in genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Notably, he was charged with responsibility for the murders of senior moderate Rwandan leaders at the start of the genocide, including Prime Minister Agathe Uwilingiyimana, the President of the Constitutional Court, the Minister of Agriculture and the Minister of Information.
He was also charged with the murders of ten Belgian United Nations peacekeepers during that same period.
Flowing the publication of the ICTR indictment against him, Mpiranya fled to Zimbabwe in late 2002, where he resided until his death.
