UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, has commended the cooperation between the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals and the South African authorities for the arrest of Fulgence Kayishema – one of the fugitives wanted for their role in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
Kayishema was arrested on Wednesday, May 24, in a joint operation by the IRMCT’s Office of the Prosecutor and South African authorities. He had a $5m bounty on him.
The former head of the judicial police in the former Kibuye prefecture has been on the run for nearly three decades.
The Statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General – on the arrest of Fulgence Kayishema said: “The Secretary-General welcomes yesterday’s 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 for his arrest by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.”
Guterres said that Kayishema’s apprehension sends a powerful message that those who are alleged to have committed such crimes cannot evade justice stating that they will eventually be held accountable, even more than a quarter of a century later.
The UN Secretary-General reminded that all states have an obligation to cooperate with the Mechanism in the location, arrest, detention, surrender and transfer of the accused persons still at large.
“The Secretary-General’s thoughts today are first and foremost with the victims of Mr. Kayishema’s alleged crimes, the victims of other serious international crimes, and their families. Ending impunity is essential for peace, security and justice,” the statement added.
Kayishema is alleged to have orchestrated the killing of approximately 2,000 Tutsi – women, men, children and elderly – at the Nyange Catholic Church during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
