Froduald Karamira

Froduald Karamira (14 August 1947 – 24 April 1998) was a Rwandan politician who was found guilty of crimes in organizing the implementation of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide. He was sentenced to death by a Rwandan court and was one of the last 24 individuals executed by Rwanda.

Biography

Karamira was born in Mushubati, Gitamara, Rwanda into a Tutsi family. As an adult, Karamira was accepted as a Hutu by following certain Rwandan traditions that allow "conversions" from one group to the other.

Karamira became Second Vice President of the MDR party and was a leader in the extremist wing of the party, nicknamed "Hutu Power".

After the murder of Burundian president Melchior Ndadaye on 21 October 1993, Karamira gave a public speech during which he coined the concept of "Hutu Power". He called on Hutus “to rise [and] take the necessary measures”, and to “look within ourselves for the enemy which is amongst us.”

On 8 April 1994, after the death of Hutu President Juvénal Habyarimana when his plane was shot down, Karamira participated in the creation of the interim government. During the genocide, Karamira gave daily speeches that were broadcast on the RTLM radio station. After the Tutsi Rwandan Patriotic Front defeated the government in July 1994 and the genocide ended, Karamira disappeared from Rwanda. He was indicted by the government of Rwanda for genocide, murder, conspiracy, and non-assistance to people in danger.

In June 1996, Karamira was arrested by Indian officials in Mumbai and was extradited to Rwanda. However, Karamira managed to escape from his guards in the airport of Addis Ababa. This was brought to the attention of Richard Goldstone, the chief prosecutor for the ICTR, who requested the Ethiopian authorities to send Karamira to the ICTR in Arusha instead. Although Ethiopia was obligated to comply with Goldstone under international law, Goldstone gave in after Rwanda threatened to suspend all cooperation with the ICTR.

His trial began on 13 January 1997 in Kigali. In addition to his daily speeches that incited genocide, it was claimed that he was instrumental in creating and arming the Interahamwe militias; he was also accused of being personally responsible for the killing of hundreds of Tutsis, including 13 members of his own family.

On 14 February 1997, Karamira was convicted on all counts and sentenced to death by firing squad. He appealed to the Kigali Appeals Court, but the appeal was rejected and his sentence confirmed on 12 September 1997. On 24 April 1998, in a public event at the Nyamirambo Stadium in Kigali, Karamira and several others were executed by firing squad for their involvement in the Rwandan genocide. A total of 22 genocide convicts were executed in different locations across the country.

Rwanda abolished capital punishment in 2007. The 22 people who were executed in 1998, including Karamira, were the last to have been executed in Rwanda.