Rwandan fugitive wanted in connection with the 1994 Rwanda genocide, Fulgence Kayishema will appear at the Bellville Magistrate’s Court in Cape Town, on Friday.
Kayishema is accused of ordering the killing of some 2 000 Tutsis who had sought refuge in a church during the 1994 genocide. He has been on the run since 2001 when the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda indicted him over his role in the destruction of the Nyange Catholic Church in the city of Kibuye.
The Hawks have confirmed that a multi-disciplinary task team led by Interpol and the Department of Justice apprehended the former police officer in Paarl, Western Cape.
Media Statement
For Immediate Release
Date: 25 May 2023MINISTER LAMOLA COMMENDS LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ON THE ARREST OF RWANDAN FUGITIVE pic.twitter.com/siLPpqCbTI
— Ministry of Justice and Correctional Services (@Min_JCS) May 25, 2023
The former police officer was wanted for genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide, and crimes against humanity in Rwanda in 1994.
Hawks spokesperson, Thandi Mbambo, says the 61-year-old was living under a false name on a grape farm at the time of his arrest. Mbambo says he will appear in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court
UN welcomes arrest
The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has welcomed the arrest of Kayishema by South African authorities.
The secretary-general’s spokesperson Stephane Dujarric says, “The secretary-general welcomes the arrest of Fulgence Kayishema in South Africa, who has been sought since 2001, for allegedly committing genocide and crimes against humanity in Rwanda in 1994, following a warrant of his for his arrest by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.”
“Mr Kayishema’s apprehension sends a powerful message that those who are alleged to have committed such crimes cannot evade justice and will eventually be held accountable, even more than a quarter century later. The secretary-general commends the cooperation between the international residual mechanism for the criminal tribunals and the South African authorities for the arrest of Mr Kayishema,” adds Dujarric.
