Bruxelles–Kigali

Rwandese nationals in Belgium who testify against Ephrem Nkezabera, the ‘genocide’s banker’, are exposed to death threats by former countrymen. Despite painful memories and fear for reprisals, giving evidence is essential for survivors to cope with what happened to them.

In the Brussels court, lawyers, witnesses and survivors of the Rwandese genocide prepare for a trial by default against Ephrem Nkezabera, the banker and head of the extremist Hutu militias that committed a massacre among Tutsis and moderate Hutus in 1994. Survivors of the mass slaughters are frequently confronted with the alleged assassins of their family members and friends, both in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, and in Brussels. Those who wish to testify in court are often threatened by their fellow-countrymen and afraid to publicly speak out about the wrongdoings they have been exposed to. Ephrem Nkezabera cannot appear in court due to his physical state. In order to cope with this tragedy it is essential that victims give evidence, although some wonder if the trial is of any use in the absence of those responsible for this dreadful episode in the history of Rwanda.