Witnesses identify man charged under Canada's War Crimes Act

The 10 witnesses immediately identified Desire Munyaneza of having a hand in dozens of rapes and murders during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, Royal Canadian Mounted Police investigator Guy Poudrier testified.

Photo: Witnesses identify man charged under Canada's War Crimes Act

Of the 10 remaining witnesses, five wavered before finally picking Munyaneza while three others identified him while professing uncertainty. Two could not identify him.

Munyaneza is accused of leading attacks on members of the Tutsi ethnic minority at the National University of Rwanda and south of the capital, Kigali. More than a half million Tutsis and politically moderate Hutus were slain during the genocide.

Canada's War Crimes Act permits the trial of suspects for crimes that occurred abroad. Munyaneza has pleaded not guilty to charges of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Earlier in the trial, other witnesses described days of rape and murder by a militia gang. Many said Munyaneza appeared to be the leader. But their accounts contained many discrepancies and were often short on detail.

African Rights, a Rwandan group that has documented the genocide, linked Munyaneza to key figures indicted by the U.N. International Criminal Tribunal.

Canada denied Munyaneza, a Hutu, refugee status in September 2000 and he lost several appeals. An Immigration and Refugee Board panel also found there were reasons to believe he had participated in crimes against humanity.

Munyaneza was living in Toronto before he was arrested in October 2005 after reports that he had been seen circulated among Canada's Rwandan community.

Poudrier was the only witness in separate immigration case against a Rwandan in Canada accused of war crimes. The case fell apart after allegations the Crown withheld evidence from the man.