The Malawian government has set a good example to African countries, in deporting Rwandan genocide fugitives, a move that serves justice to the survivors and victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.

 

Following the country's investigation into Fulgence Kayishema – an alleged participant in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi – who managed to acquire a Malawian passport under falsified identity between 2017 and 2018; in early June, Malawi revoked the citizenship of 230 individuals from Rwanda due to suspicion on how they obtained their naturalization papers.

 

Dozens of genocide fugitives were later identified among those individuals whose citizenship was revoked, and Malawi started deporting them to Rwanda to be tried.

 

Sources, who preferred anonymity, revealed to The Great Lakes Eye that Malawi is expected to deport more than 40 genocide fugitives. 

 

Rwanda’s National Public Prosecution Authority (NPPA) commended the Malawian authorities for their collaboration in the fight against impunity.

It is, indeed, a significant step in the process of bringing genocide suspects to justice, particularly from African countries.

 

To date, no single African country has ever tried cases of genocide.

 

On the other hand, among the 1,146 indictments and arrest warrants against genocide fugitives issued by the Genocide Fugitives Tracking Unit (GFTU) from 2007 to 2021, 962 (84 per cent) were sent to African countries.

 

The GFTU identified 408 genocide fugitives in the DRC, 277 in Uganda, 63 in Malawi, 52 in Tanzania, 47 in France, 42 in Congo Brazzaville, 40 in Belgium, 35  in Kenya, 23 in the USA, 18 in the Netherlands, 15 in Zambia, 15 in Burundi, 14 in Canada, 13 in  Mozambique and 11 in the Central African Republic.

 

Cameroon hosts 10 while there are seven in Norway, Sweden, and Gabon, respectively.

 

There are five in Germany, the UK, and South Africa, respectively, as well as three in Denmark, New Zealand, Ivory Coast, and Switzerland, respectively.

 

Two are in Zimbabwe and Swaziland, respectively, while Finland, Ghana, Benin, and Australia, also host one, each.

 

On many occasions, the Rwandan government expressed its concerns over African countries that have done little or nothing to bring the genocide suspects to book. Few African countries including Malawi, Uganda, and DRC have extradited a few genocide suspects, a move that Rwanda appreciates.

 

“The fight against impunity is not a task that Rwanda should shoulder alone. It is a collective responsibility that we, as the global community, must undertake," urged Amb. Claver Gatete, Rwanda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

 

Rwanda’s Minister of National Unity and Civic Engagement, Jean Damascene Bizimana, in April, said that foreign countries' role in prosecuting genocide fugitives is commendable but there is still a need for further efforts to enhance its productivity, especially in African countries.

 

Bizimana called on African nations to initiate the process of trying fugitives who are living in their countries.

 

Lack of political will by the host governments is cited as the biggest challenge in bringing genocide fugitives to book.

 

Malawi’s political will to collaborate with Rwanda in fighting impunity, especially when it is about genocide and crimes against humanity, should serve as an example to other African countries and the whole world.