After 22 years on the run, one of the most wanted suspects in the Rwandan genocide, a man accused of orchestrating the killing of more than 2,000 people, has been arrested in South Africa, according to the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT), a special tribunal set up by the United Nations.
Fulgence Kayishema was detained on Wednesday in Paarl, a small town located in a wine-making region approximately 30 miles east of Cape Town, in a joint operation by the tribunal’s fugitive tracking team and South African authorities.
Kayishema had been indicted by the U.N.’s International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in 2001 and charged with genocide, complicity in genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide, and crimes against humanity for his role in the killings and other crimes during the genocide. The genocide occurred over the course of three months in 1994 when ethnic Hutus targeted the minority Tutsis, killing them and moderate Hutus who tried to protect them. More than 800,000 people were killed during that time.
According to the tribunal, Kayishema is alleged to have organized the killings of more than 2,000 ethnic Tutsi refugees, including men, women, and children, at a Catholic church during the genocide. He had been at large since 2001.
“Fulgence Kayishema was a fugitive for more than 20 years. His arrest ensures that he will finally face justice for his alleged crimes,” said IRMCT chief prosecutor Serge Brammertz in a statement. The apprehension of Kayishema, who had been on the run for over two decades, is a significant achievement for the IRMCT and for the international community’s efforts to hold perpetrators of genocide accountable for their actions.
The arrest of Kayishema also serves as a reminder of the atrocities committed during the Rwandan genocide and the need for continued efforts to prevent similar crimes from occurring in the future. The genocide was a tragic chapter in Rwanda’s history, one that left deep scars on the nation and its people. The apprehension of Kayishema is a step towards justice for the victims and their families, and a message to those who commit such heinous crimes that they will be held accountable for their actions.
The joint operation between the tribunal’s fugitive tracking team and South African authorities demonstrates the importance of international cooperation in the fight against impunity for genocide and other international crimes. The successful apprehension of Kayishema sends a message that there is no safe haven for those responsible for such crimes, and that they will be pursued and brought to justice no matter how long it takes.
The arrest of Fulgence Kayishema, one of the most wanted suspects in the Rwandan genocide, is a significant development in the pursuit of justice for the victims and their families. It demonstrates the importance of international cooperation in the fight against impunity for genocide and other international crimes. The apprehensionof Kayishema after 22 years on the run serves as a reminder of the atrocities committed during the Rwandan genocide and the need for continued efforts to prevent such crimes from happening in the future. The international community must work together to hold perpetrators accountable for their actions and bring justice to the victims and their families.
