Fulgence Kayishema was wanted for more than 20 years [File: US Department of State]
Thu 25 May 2023:
The United Nations tribunal for war crimes committed in Rwanda announced on Thursday that suspected Rwandan genocide perpetrator Fulgence Kayishema had been detained in South Africa.
He had been on the run since 2001 before being captured on Wednesday.
According to the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT), Kayishema is alleged to have orchestrated the killing of approximately 2,000 Tutsi at the Nyange Catholic Church during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.
“Fulgence Kayishema was a fugitive for more than 20 years. His arrest ensures that he will finally face justice for his alleged crimes,” IRMCT prosecutor Serge Brammertz said.
Kigali-based attorney and political analyst Gatete Ruhumuliza said Kayishema was an “important” figure in perpetrating the genocide.
“What Kayishema did … is he broke the first taboo – which was killing people seeking shelter in a church. That was unheard of,” Ruhumuliza added.
A reward of up to $5,000,000 was offered by the US War Crimes Rewards Program for information on Kayishema and the other fugitives wanted for perpetrating the Rwandan genocide.
With the arrest of Kayishema, the UN is still seeking three more prominent suspects.
In 2020, another fugitive was captured in a Paris suburb after more than 20 years on the run.
Félicien Kabuga, “one of the world’s most wanted fugitives,” who is alleged to have been a leading figure in the genocide, was arrested in a joint operation with French authorities.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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