Fulgence Kayishema, the most wanted suspect in the murder of more than 2,000 people during the 1994 Rwandan genocide, has been arrested in South Africa.
Fulgence Kayishema, a former police officer in his 60s, was arrested on May 24 at a vineyard in Paarl, a small town in wine country about 50 kilometers east of Cape Town, South Africa.
Kayishema was arrested during a joint operation by South African authorities and United Nations investigators. According to South African police, upon being arrested, Kayishema gave a false name as Donatien Nibashumba, refusing to acknowledge his true identity. However, in the evening of the same day, he said “I waited so long to be arrested”.
Kayishema was prosecuted in 2001. Investigators said Kayishema used various false identities and documents to avoid detection during her time in hiding. The United States has offered a $5 million reward for information leading to Kayishema’s capture.
Fulgence Kayishema, a wanted suspect in the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Photo: US Department of State
In 1994, over 800,000 Tutsis and Hutus were killed in the Rwandan genocide that took place within 3 months. The court charged Kayishema with having directly participated in the planning and execution of the massacre of more than 2,000 people at the Catholic Church in Nyange on April 15, 1994, when the genocide had just begun.
The indictment said Kayishema, then a police inspector, bought gasoline to burn down the church, which was full of refugees. Kayishema and his accomplices are also accused of using a bulldozer to bulldoze the church after the fire.
When the genocide ended in July 1994, Kayishema fled to the Democratic Republic of Congo with his wife, children and brother-in-law. After fleeing to many African countries, he moved to South Africa in 1999 and used a false name to seek asylum in Cape Town.
Since arriving in South Africa, Kayishema has enjoyed a close support network of former Rwandan soldiers who have tried to hide their activities and whereabouts.
Kayishema is due to stand trial in a Cape Town court on May 26 before potentially being extradited to Rwanda.
“Kayishema has been on the run for more than 20 years. The arrest ensures that he will finally receive the proper punishment for his crimes,” said Serge Brammertz, chief prosecutor of the United Nations International Court of Justice Recovery Mechanism (IRMCT). “Genocide is the most serious crime against humanity.”
Thanh Tam (according to CNN, AP)
