Genocide trial starts for Rwandan singer

A RENOWNED Rwandan singer went on trial yesterday before a UN tribunal, accused of writing lyrics that incited the notorious 1994 genocide in Rwanda, in which 500,000 people were killed in just 100 days.

Simon Bikindi, 52, “chose to use his fame to incite hatred,” prosecutor Hassan Jallow said during opening statements before the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.

The sight of a singer in the dock in Arusha, Tanzania, was unusual, but the role of propaganda in the Rwandan genocide has been well documented.