International
Genocide fugitives in France: why does Agathe Kanziga get preferential treatment?
Genocide survivors were
relieved to hear the conviction and sentencing of Hategekimana Philippe, also
known as Biguma, by a Paris court for his role in the Genocide against the
Tutsi in Rwanda.
A former senior police officer
in the current Nyanza District, Biguma was handed a life sentence following
overwhelming evidence presented by prosecutors showing how he led attacks that
resulted in the death of thousands of Tutsi.
Life imprisonment is the
highest penalty that can be awarded by the French judiciary.
Nonetheless, many people still
find this justice half-baked. They especially question the fate of Agathe
Kanziga Habyarimana who seems to enjoy preferential treatment from authorities
in France.
Related: Hosting
Agathe Kanziga Habyarimana big sign France yet to reexamine its links to
genocidaires
They also question the slow
pace of justice in France where, so far, only five convictions have been tied
up despite the 47 lawsuits. Five convictions in 29 years! And yet Genocide is a
crime against humanity! But when?
France is home to many more
Rwandan genocide fugitives, many of whom are actively involved in subversive
activities against Rwanda while working around the clock to deny the 1994 Genocide
against the Tutsi.
Top on this list is Agathe
Kanziga, the widow of President Juvenal Habyarimana and one of the masterminds
of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. She has been living in plain sight in France
for close to three decades. One wonders how this can even be possible, but the truth
is that she has been an illegal resident in France who enjoys privileges and
preferential treatments from the Government of France.
There is some effort by the
French judiciary to try genocide fugitives, with two cases already conducted
this year.
Soon, in November, the trial
of another suspected Rwandan mass murderer, Dr Sosthene Munyemana, could start followed
by that of Eugene Rwamucyo. But so many more genocide fugitives still roam free
in the country.
Genocide fugitives like Col
Laurent Serubuga, Aloys Ntiwiragabo, Maj Faustin Ntilikina, and others still
consider France their safe haven. But for Agathe Kanziga, France qualifies as a
paradise for impunity.
As a powerful First Lady,
Agathe Kanziga was known to be the commanding officer of ‘akazu’, a notorious
circle of leaders who in majority were her close relatives from her nuclear
family and that of President Habyarimana, just like Dr Seraphin Bararengana, a
brother to President Habyarimana who had married Catherine Mukamusoni, her
sister.
Also as a member of the
notorious group was Protais Zigiranyirazo also known as Mr Z, a brother to
Kanziga. The akazu is known to have
played a central role in the preparation and the execution of the Genocide against
the Tutsi in Rwanda.
Kanziga was the de facto
leader of the group as she chaired most of the meetings that prepared the
Genocide and sponsored the activities of Interahamwe militias.
In January 1991, President
Habyarimana accompanied by his wife and other members of the notorious circle
including Joseph Nzirorera, Charles Nzabagerageza of Ruhengeri prefecture, Come
Bizimungu of Gisenyi and Col Elie Sagatwa, a brother to Kanziga, attended a
meeting that strategized on how to exterminate the biggest number of Tutsi
people who lived in the regions of Gisenyi and Ruhengeri.
At the meeting, it was
estimated that the cost of the notorious operation would cost around $110,000 (Rwf10
million at the time). The money would cater for the transportation of
Interahamwe militia and purchase of arms they would use to kill the
Tutsi.
Thankfully, this operation
never took place as the RPA forces launched a surprise attack on Ruhengeri
maximum security prison on January 23, 1991 that scuttled the execution of the
evil plan in Ruhengeri and Gisenyi. The change of plan prompted Kanziga to call
for a meeting later, which took place at the home of Pascal Simbikangwa –
another genocidaires convicted by French courts – in Remera.
The house was referred to as
the “temple” by the members of the notorious circle of Akazu. At the notorious
“temple” Kanziga called on the members to mobilize and train better the
Interahamwe militia group so that they could execute their mandate more
effectively. The obligation of the militia group was to exterminate the Tutsi.
In February that year, Kanziga
chaired a meeting at Elie’s Sagatwa’s home. Hysterically, President Habyarimana
attended the meeting alongside Protais Zigiranyirazo, Kabuga Felicien, Joseph
Nzirorera and Dr Bararengana Seraphin, her brother in law. The meeting
evaluated the progress of FAR at the battle front with the RPA, and discussed
ways how they could mobilize young Hutu militiamen for the killing of the Tutsi
so as to demoralize the RPA.
In 1993, she chaired a meeting
in Gisenyi that took place at the home of Wellars Banzi. The meeting which was
attended by Col Theoneste Bagosora, Mathieu Ngirumpatse and Kabuga discussed
modalities of increasing the financial support towards the Interahamwe militia
group.
At the meeting, Kanziga
pledged to contribute towards the purchase of uniforms for the militia group
and tasked her brother, Zigiranyirazo, to coordinate the financial support
activities of the Interahamwe. She later donated Rwf5 million to Robert Kajuga,
the president of Interahamwe as a direct financial support to the extermination
project.
As accounted by her longtime
friend, who rushed to the presidential palace to condole the first family after
the crash of a plane that was carrying President Habyarimana on April 6 1994,
Susane Seminega upon arriving at the presidential palace was stunned to find
the First Lady not grieving but busy drafting a list of names of Rwandan
politicians who had to be killed.
Topping the list was Prime
Minister Agathe Uwilingiyimana. Jean Birara a close aide at the Presidential
palace testified that while sitting in the living room with her sisters-in-law
a few minutes after the place crash, Kanziga ordered Bagosora to immediately
kill Uwilingiyimana, and key opposition politicians including Landouard
Ndasingwa, Joseph Kavaruganda and Faustin Rucogoza.
She also ordered Bagosora to monitor
closely the situation and regularly update her. It was under her directive that
Bagosora went to officially announce the death of president Habyarimana and to
chair the meeting that prepared the transition.
After her undeniable central
role in the preparation of the genocide against the Tutsi, Kanziga was rewarded
by France a VIP evacuation to Paris, where upon arrival, she was welcomed with
a cheque of over $30,000 that was given to her by then French President
Francois Mitterand through Premier Edouard Balladour.
Kanziga and her family were
taken to Forest Hill Hotel for a good rest while the Tutsi were being killed in
Rwanda, including her own employees of the Orphelinat St Agathe, an orphanage
she had founded.
She continues to live in
France scot-free despite a well detailed indictment in the custody of the
French judiciary.