Jean-Baptiste Gatete

Jean Baptiste Gatete is a Rwandan Politician accused in participation in the Rwandan Genocide

He was born in the commune of Murambi in the prefecture of Byumba, Rwanda. He was educated as an agricultural engineer, and served as mayor (bourgmestre) of Murambi from 1987 to 1993. An ethnic Hutu, he was a prominent member of the dominant MRND party.

In 1993 he ceased his mayoral duties, but retained influence over the area. He is accused of planning and directly participating in genocide between 6 April and 30 April 1994, particularly in the parish of Kiziguro.

He resided in a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee (UNHCR) camp in Loukolela, northern Republic of Congo from 1997 to at least 1999, where he lived under the alias "Jean Nsengiyumva", and where he raised an apparently adopted boy.

Gatete was arrested on 11 September 2002 in the Republic of Congo. Two days later, he was transferred to the headquarters of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in Arusha, Tanzania. Among the charges are genocide and crimes against humanity. On March 29th 2011, Gatete was sentenced to life in prison by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.