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KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) - A Rwandan rebel pleaded not guilty Monday to charges of killing eight tourists from the United States, Britain and New Zealand and a Ugandan tour guide on a gorilla-watching trip in 1999.
Jean-Paul Bizimana, 30, could face the death penalty if convicted. Prosecution witnesses were expected to begin testifying Tuesday.
Rwandan rebels hacked and bludgeoned the tourists in a remote rain forest near Uganda's borders with Congo and Rwanda, where they had gone to see the rare gorillas. The rebels said they were specifically targeting English-speaking people in a bid to weaken U.S. and British support for the Rwandan government.
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