Brussels: Three Belgian soldiers are on trial in Brussels charged with mass murder during the Rwandan genocide of 1994. The case, which began on Wednesday, also implicates the state of Belgium.

Some survivors and relatives accuse Belgium and the three former peacekeepers of being partly responsible for the massacre of thousands of Tutsis by Hutu militias. They are seeking financial compensation, according to reports.

The Rwandans accuse the Belgian state of withdrawing its military from a school building in Kigali, where Tutsi's had sought refuge. The school was protected by Belgian peacekeepers and offered shelter to, among others, the Rwandan Minister of Foreign Affairs and his family.

Shortly after the departure of the Belgian military the extremist Hutu militias attacked the building.

Belgium pulled its forces out of Rwanda when ten peacekeepers were killed.