It became more of a logistical challenge

Kingsley Moghalu Rwanda tribunal

Prosecutors at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) say Colonel Bagosora helped plan the slaughter of 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus.

The 61-year-old pleads not guilty to all 12 charges he faces, including genocide and conspiracy to commit genocide, in the court in Arusha, in northern Tanzania.

His defence lawyers did not have French translations of statements by prosecution witnesses.

All trial documents must be available in English, French and Kinyarwandan.

Slow justice

"We are very disappointed. We came yesterday for the trial and are now being told to wait four months," said defence lawyer Gersdom Otachi Bwomanwa.

The lack of documents followed a change of strategy by the prosecution, said a spokesman for the tribunal.

Bagosora: 'Ambushed' by court, according to his lawyers

"There had to be new translations, new documents... it became more of a logistical challenge," Kingsley Moghalu told the Associated Press news agency.

Many survivors of the genocide criticise the Arusha tribunal for the slow rate at which it is processing the trials.

The prosecution believes the case - the first to bring a top military figure before the tribunal - could shed some light on how the Rwandan leadership plotted the killings.

'Apocalypse'

In her opening statement, the tribunal's chief prosecutor, Carla Del Ponte, said: "Some of the charges brought against these men are frightening... others reveal the plan organised and implemented in cold blood."

"These four men are among the principle perpetrators of the genocide," she added.

Del Ponte: Crimes 'offend human dignity'

On Tuesday, the prosecution said that the defence team had failed to read documents properly.

"To come to court and start pointing fingers was wrong," said prosecutor Chile Eboe-Osuji.

The prosecution says Colonel Bagosora played a key role in plotting to exterminate the Tutsis and moderate Hutus, and that he also set up the Interahamwe - gangs of Hutu extremists who carried out much of the slaughter.

The indictment alleges that he set out to "prepare the apocalypse" three years before the killings began.

Marathon trial

His defence says there is no hard evidence to link him to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Rwandans.

1994: The year of genocide

April Rwandan President Habyarimana killed in plane crash April - July An estimated 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus killed July Tutsi-led rebel movement RPF captures Rwandan capital Kigali July Two million Hutus flee to Zaire, now the DRC

Colonel Bagosora has been in custody since 1996, when he was arrested in Cameroon. He is being charged along with three other military officers, also accused of genocide.

Between April and June 1994, an estimated 800,000 Rwandans were killed in the space of 100 days.

Most of the dead were Tutsis - and most of those who perpetrated the violence were Hutus.

The ICTR has so far convicted eight genocide suspects, including former Rwandan Prime Minister Jean Kambanda, and acquitted one.

Colonel Bagosora's trial is expected to last two years and hear testimony from hundreds of witnesses.