How to Pronounce Théoneste Bagosora

Meaning and Context

Théoneste Bagosora was a senior Rwandan military officer whose orchestration of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi minority cemented his infamy as one of the principal architects of one of the twentieth century's most brutal atrocities. As the directeur de cabinet in Rwanda's Ministry of Defence at the time, Bagosora is widely cited by historians and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) as having assumed de facto control following the assassination of President Juvénal Habyarimana on April 6, 1994, using his authority to mobilize the presidential guard, military, and Interahamwe militia to execute a meticulously planned campaign of mass murder. His pivotal role in establishing the interim government that presided over the killings and his documented extremist ideology made him a central figure in the tribunal's pursuit of accountability for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. Bagosora was ultimately arrested in 1996, convicted by the ICTR in 2008 after a landmark trial, and sentenced to life imprisonment, a verdict that stands as a critical precedent in international criminal law for holding high-level planners of genocide directly responsible.

Common Mistakes and Alternative Spellings

The name "Théoneste Bagosora" presents several common challenges in spelling and transcription for non-French speakers. The most frequent error involves the accented letters in his first name, often rendered as "Theoneste" or "Theoneste" without the acute accents on both the 'e's. The correct spelling is Théoneste, with an acute accent on the first 'e' and the final 'e'. His surname, Bagosora, is sometimes misspelled as "Bagosora" (swapping the 's' and 'o') or "Bagosora." Another common typo results from anglicized pronunciation, leading to variants like "Bagosora" or "Bagosora." When searching for information, it is crucial to use the accurate, accented form for optimal results, though many databases and search engines will account for common misspellings. Additionally, his name is sometimes incorrectly prefixed with titles like "General," though his highest confirmed rank was Colonel.

Example Sentences

Historians point to Théoneste Bagosora's own writings in the early 1990s as evidence of his extremist ideology and foreshadowing of the violence to come.

The prosecution at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda argued successfully that Théoneste Bagosora exercised command responsibility and was a prime mover in the conspiracy to commit genocide.

Following his arrest in Cameroon, the trial of Théoneste Bagosora became one of the most significant proceedings for the ICTR, scrutinizing the chain of command within the Rwandan military.

In its judgment, the court found Théoneste Bagosora guilty of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, specifically for his role in the killings of prominent politicians and the widespread slaughter of civilians.

The life sentence handed to Théoneste Bagosora was seen as a measure of justice, though it could never compensate for the scale of the tragedy he helped engineer.

Related Pronunciations

• How to pronounce Dexter King
• How to pronounce Gediminas
• How to pronounce Klaus Schwab
• How to pronounce Marc Bloch
• How to pronounce Kęstutis