Cape Town

A former police chief in Rwanda, Fulgence Kayishema, who is accused of ordering the killings of some 2,000 ethnic Tutsis in a church has been arrested in South Africa, said a United Nations war crimes tribunal and South African police. The killing took place in 1994 during the Rwandan genocide. Kayishema has been on the run since 2001 when the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) indicted him for genocide in Nyange Catholic Church in Kibuye Prefecture.

Advertisment

"His arrest ensures that he will finally face justice for his alleged crimes," said Serge Brammertz, prosecutor at the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT), which has replaced the ICTR since it wound up in 2008. Brammertz was quoted by Reuters.

At the time of his arrest, Kayishema was living under the false name Donatien Nibashumba, at a grape farm in Paarl, in Western Cape province. The arrest was made on Wednesday (May 25) by an elite South African police unit known as the Hawks.

"The fugitive will remain in custody to appear in the Cape Town Magistrate Court for his first appearance on Friday ... pending his extradition to Rwanda," the unit said in a statement.

Advertisment

In her first comment on the arrest, Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo tweeted: "Finally."

Rwandan Genocide

About 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and Hutu moderates were killed during the Rwanda genocide which was orchestrated by the extremist Hutu regime. The genocide was meticulously executed by local officials and ordinary citizens in a country which has a rigidly hierarchical society.

Advertisment

"Seeing these people arrested brings healing to the survivors," said Naphtal Ahishakiye, executive secretary of Ibuka, an umbrella group representing survivors.

US State Department has Kayishema on its wanted list under the Rewards for Justice programme. A reward of USD 5 million was on offer for his arrest.

Investigation across several countries 

Brammertz said that the investigation which resulted in his arrest spanned multiple countries in Africa and even beyond.

In May 2020, another mastermind of the genocide, Felicien Kabuga, was arrested in France after 26 years on the run.

Kayishema's arrest means there are now only three fugitives indicted by the international tribunal whose whereabouts remain unknown, though Makolo said Rwanda considers that a greater number of suspects are yet to be caught.

"Nearly 30 years later, we have a long list of Rwandan genocide fugitives still at large in several countries around the world," she told Reuters.

"We will continue to work with partner states and institutions to ensure that they are held to account."

(With inputs from agencies)

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

×