View Video | Voices from the Rwanda Tribunal

Roland Amoussouga
speaks on ...

a witness in court [KIN]

Transcript0:00
Being a chief of witness protection, the first time I cry in this court was the day I brought in an old lady, 85 years old lady whose kids were all killed, husband killed, and she was raped. And I brought her in court here to testify in the first case.
0:23
And this lady – I did not speak sh-, Kinyarwanda, I used an interpreter. We developed a kind of special relationship. She was so funny; you will never, you would never believe what she went through. And when she entered the courtroom, we prepare her, when she entered the courtroom, she, she was smiling. And then when they asked her, “Witness, could you identify the accused person?”
1:01
The old mama stood up, walk, went to see the prosecutors’ face; they were all white. Look at them, look at one of the few blacks in the team of the prosecutor, she moves away, she looks at the court reporter, she moves away, she look at the judges, she moves away, she look at the registry members, she move away, she look at the defense counsel, she move away, she look at the accused person, she move away.
1:30
And when she came again to see the accused person, she bowed to the accused person and she went back and sit. (__) say, “Where is the accused person?” “He’s there.” “Who, who are you talking about?” “He’s there.” The judges say, “Can you point the finger?” Say “In my culture you don’t point the finger to powerful people.” Said, “No, he was the mayor.”
2:00
And the mayor was the most powerful. And the court agreed to – agreed that the lady has recognized the accused person on the basis of that sign. And then when we went home, I said, “Mama, how do you feel?” “I’m so happy. I could not believe that I’ll have this day in my life to see the son of God to be there with handcuff. No, it’s not possible. I can die today and go and see my kids and report back to them that justice has been done.”