Rwandan colonel accused of genocide

A former senior Rwandan army officer appeared before a UN court today and denied six charges of genocide and crimes against humanity.

Colonel Ephrem Setako, 55, was arrested in Amsterdam in February and transferred to the Special US Detention Facility in the Tanzanian town of Arusha this month.

The prosecution alleges Setako committed the crimes in concert with several other former senior Rwandan officers including Colonel Theoneste Bagosora, who is alleged to have been a central figure in the killing of more than 500,000 minority Tutsis and politically moderate Hutus during the genocide.

Setako is alleged to have distributed arms to members of the Rwanda Armed Forces, the Presidential Guard, the extremist Interahamwe militia and other armed groups who took part in the 100-day slaughter.

Currently, 25 people are undergoing trial while 18 are waiting for their trials to start.

Since the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda was established in 1994, 19 people have been convicted and three acquitted.