EngInternational
Genocide fugitives hiding in plain sight, in France, DRC, UK, Uganda, Belgium, Malawi, Kenya, USA…
It
has been 29 years since the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi was stopped by the
RPF.
But
Rwanda’s quest for justice for the survivors of the Genocide is still
frustrated. Countries hosting perpetrators adamantly drag their feet when it
comes to trying, or deporting or extradition these criminals to Rwanda.
In 100
days, more than one million Tutsi across the country were massacred, with their
killings mainly coordinated by the state administration – Ministers, Prefects,
Burgomasters, Municipal councilors – the army and the gendarmerie. The number of perpetrators was equally in
large numbers.
Faced
with the reality that justice needed to be served, the Rwandan government
created the Gacaca courts, which tried 1.2 million cases related to the
Genocide against the Tutsi, and 65 per cent of the tried individuals were found
guilty and sentenced accordingly.
But
despite all these efforts more Genocide fugitives remain at large, especially
those who managed to flee to other countries.
Rwanda’s
Genocide Fugitives Tracking Unit (GFTU) indicates that there are over 1,100
Genocide fugitives in almost 33 countries. In a bid
to bring these individuals to book the unit indicates that between 2007 and
2020, Rwanda issued 1,146 indictments and arrest warrants of these individuals
in their respective countries, to no avail.
Most
of these fugitives have found a safe haven in the countries they are residing
in; hiding behind so-called political activism, human rights’ activism and some
are protected by their churches, mostly the Catholic Church.
According to the Unit’s
statistics, 408 are believed to be in the neighbouring DRC, 277 in Uganda, 63
in Malawi, 52 in Tanzania, 47 in France, 42 in Congo Brazzaville, while 40 are
in Belgium.
Other countries are Kenya where
35 Genocide suspects are believed to reside, 23 in America (USA), 18 in The
Netherlands, Zambia harbours 15, Burundi hosts 15, Canada 14, Mozambique hosts
13 and 11 are in the Central African Republic.
Also, 10 suspects are in
Cameroon, 7 in Norway, Sweden, and Gabon, respectively; Germany, UK, and South
Africa host five, each.
Denmark, New Zealand, Ivory
Coast, and Switzerland each harbour three.
Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Finland,
Ghana, Benin, and Australia also host some.
Of all these fugitives, so far,
only 47 fugitives have been extradited or tried.
Countries like the UK totally refused
to part ways with Genocide fugitives. Rwanda located five key genocide suspects
on UK territory. They are; Dr Vincent Bajinya, a medical doctor, former mayors
- Célestin Ugirashebuja, Charles Munyaneza, Emmanuel Nteziryayo and Célestin
Mutabaruka, a pastor.
British judges blocked extradition
on grounds that the suspects would not receive a fair trial in Rwanda.
Officials in Kigali have called for a trial in the UK instead, a request that
constantly fell on deaf ears.
The UK is just an example of the
numerous countries who have completely refused to either extradite or try
génocidaires, effectively blocking justice.
During the Genocide, the World
watched silently as innocent lives were being taken, giving a clear message to
Rwanda that ‘they were on their own’.
And now, 29 years later after the
tragic events, idly letting the people responsible for destroying Rwanda roam
free in their countries is another form of betrayal to all Rwandans, victims
and survivors of the Genocide.
