With human rights crises raging in Sudan, eastern Congo, Somalia, and Zimbabwe, red letter days in the world of international justice can be few and far between. That’s why it’s worth taking a moment to note the conviction of Col. Theoneste Bagosora, one of the masterminds of the Rwandan genocide, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.
Bagosora, as the highest ranking official in Rwanda’s defense ministry during the genocide, organized and trained the interahamwe militias that carried out most of the killing, oversaw the targeted killing of moderate politicians and opposition leaders, as well as the killing of 10 UN peacekeepers from Belgium that successfully cowed the international community into inaction.
This is a day long in the making: Bagosora’s trial started in 2002 and he was first taken into custody in Cameroon in 1996.
President Bashir, are you paying attention?