Rwanda genocide charges in Canada

By Lee Carter
BBC News, Toronto

Survivors of Rwanda's massacre have set up home in Canada

A Rwandan living in Toronto has been charged with war crimes in relation to the genocide in his home country.

Desire Munyaneza, 39, made a brief appearance at a court in Montreal where the charges were read out to him.

They include two counts of genocide, two of crimes against humanity and three of war crimes, all related to the genocide of 1994.

About 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were slaughtered by Hutu extremists in one of the century's worst massacres.

Mr Munyaneza was living at the time in the Rwandan city of Butare.

He is accused of having played an instrumental role in the militia that carried out part of the genocide.

'Surreal'

Jean-Paul Nwinlinkwaya, part of the Rwandan community in Canada, lost his father and other family members in the genocide.

"It was a surreal moment for me and for the other members of the Rwandan community here in Canada, who have been involved in seeking justice for 10 years now, and we just never thought this moment would ever come," he said outside the Montreal courtroom.

Mr Munyaneza arrived in Canada in 1996. He applied for political asylum but was turned down by the Canadian immigration authorities.

Around the same time, police launched their investigation into Mr Munyaneza's alleged war crimes after tip-offs from members of the Rwandan community.

Mr Munyaneza is the first person to be charged under Canadian legislation, which became law in 2000, recognising the country's obligations to the United Nations international criminal court.