Munyaneza's militia invaded like 'ants,' war crimes trial told

A witness at Canada's first trial under the 2000 war crimes legislation testified Thursday that Dsir Munyaneza was the leader of a pack of Hutu militiamen who raped women.

The Rwandan witness, known only as C-19, testified in a Montreal courtroom that the 40-year-old Munyaneza not only raped women, but was giving orders to others in the gang to do so.

"Dsirwas the team leader, he was the one giving instructions to the others," she said.

"They would just invade us, just like ants."

The woman rattled off a list of names of women she said were raped by Munyaneza.

Munyaneza is accused of taking part in Rwanda's 1994 genocide, when between 500,000 and 800,000 people were killed, mainly minority Tutsis.

Witness C-19 managed to delay her own rape for some time by pretending she was a new mother.

She said the Hutus were only interested in raping young Tutsi girls, not women who had given birth.

"They were such young, beautiful girls," she said.

Munyaneza faces seven charges under Canada's seven-year-old Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act, including genocide and crimes against humanity.