Rwanda’s Most wanted Genocide suspect Felicien Kabuga arrested in France

Kabuga Felicien

Genocide fugitive, Kabuga Felecien who has been hiding in France under a false name has been arrested in an apartment in Paris, France. The French Justice Ministry said Gendarmes arrested him at 0530 GMT on Saturday. He had been living under an assumed name in a flat in Asnieres-Sur-Seine, near Paris. Kabuga is known to be one of the fugitives who has used more than 100 fake names to dodge justice. Kabuga is Rwanda’s most-wanted fugitive and has been the subject of a $5 million bounty offered by the United States.

The 84-year-old fugitive had been pursued by international justice for 25 years over his active role in the genocide against the Tutsi in 1994.

Felicien Kabuga is a Rwandan genocide fugitive born in 19 July 1935 in Muniga sector, Mukarange commune, Byumba préfecture, Rwanda. He is accused of Genocide; Complicity in Genocide; Direct and Public Incitement to Genocide; Conspiracy to Commit Genocide; and Crimes against Humanity.

Specifically, Kabuga is accused for having provided funds to the former genocidal government to prepare and conduct the genocide against the Tutsi. He financed the arming of the Hutu militia, the Interahamwe, and was responsible for importing large quantities of machetes and other weapons during 1993 and 1994 in preparation for the genocide against the Tutsi.

KABUGA further provided logistical support to the militia prior to and during the genocide, including: making both his business and home available for the training of Interahamwe; the provision of uniforms, cash and food to militia; the provision of transport for Interahamwe and weapons with his company’s vehicles so as to facilitate the killings; and similarly to transport Tutsis to locations to be killed, notably in Gisenyi and Kimironko sectors. In Kimironko, he further created, funded and directed what was known as “Kabuga’s Interahamwe,” with the goal of carrying out genocide in the sector.

In addition, as a major shareholder of RTLM, he was responsible for and had control over the broadcasting of radio messages which incited and sustained the genocide. From January to April 1994, the radio station was used to further ethnic hatred between Hutus and Tutsis, to disseminate anti-Tutsi messages in order to incite genocide against the Tutsi population.

The arrest of Felicien Kabuga today is a reminder that YOU CAN RUN BUT YOU CANT ALWAYS HIDE and a confirmation that those responsible for the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi shall be brought to account, even 26 years and more after their crimes. This should be a wakeup call to the rest of the Genocide fugitives still at large including the likes of Protais Mpiranya that it’s just a matter of time for them to answer their heinous crimes.

More to come…