Justice Minister commends arrest of Rwandan genocide fugitive

Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Ronald Lamola has welcomed the arrest of a Rwandan fugitive.

The 61-year-old man, Fulgence Kayishema, was arrested at a grape farm in Paarl in the Western Cape on an Interpol Red Notice for his alleged role in the killing of some 2000 people during the Rwandan genocide.

“With this arrest two emphatic statements cannot be refuted, that the long arm of the law knows no time bounds and South Africa is not willing to be a safe haven for fugitives. We will continue to assist other countries and international bodies to trace fugitives. We expect the same from other countries,” Lamola said.

The department explained the man’s arrest.

“The arrest comes after an Interpol Red Notice was issued at the request of the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunal (IRMCT). The fugitive was wanted by the IRMCT for genocide and crimes against humanity in Rwanda.

“Kayishema is alleged to have orchestrated the killing of approximately 2000 Tutsi refugees – women, men, children, and elderly – at the Nyange Catholic Church during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. He has been at large since 2001,” the department said.