Kabuga was one of the key figures who played a major role in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. He spent 26 years evading justice while reportedly being protected by some Western countries.
In an interview with RBA, the President of IBUKA, Dr. Gakwenzire Philbert, said Kabuga accumulated wealth because he was supported by the government of former President Juvénal Habyarimana. He added that the two families had a special relationship, as two of their children were married to each other.
In 1990, when the Rwandan Patriotic Army launched the liberation struggle and Rwanda introduced a multiparty political system, Kabuga continued supporting the MRND party and activities that later became part of the preparation for the Genocide against the Tutsi.
Dr. Gakwenzire affirmed that Kabuga played a direct role in planning and executing the genocide.
He stressed that the crime of genocide never expires, and history will continue to condemn Kabuga.
“Kabuga may be dead, but the crimes he committed are not dead, and history is not dead either. Genocide is an imprescriptible crime, and history will continue accusing him of that crime,” he said.
Kabuga, who was once one of Rwanda’s richest businessmen, was arrested in France in May 2020. He faced charges including genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide, and incitement to commit genocide.
He was also charged with crimes against humanity, including murder, persecution, and extermination committed during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
On October 26, 2020, Kabuga was transferred to the IRMCT detention facility in The Hague, where he was to stand trial.
His trial began on September 29, 2022. However, in September 2023, the IRMCT Appeals Chamber ruled that proceedings should be suspended because he was no longer fit to stand trial due to illness. It was decided he would remain detained in the Netherlands while awaiting a country willing to receive him. Rwanda was reportedly the only country that agreed to take him.
The Prosecution Authority of Rwanda has for years sent arrest warrants to various countries targeting more than 1,100 genocide suspects.
Dr. Gakwenzire expressed concern that other suspects of Kabuga’s age may also evade justice by being declared medically unfit or dying before trial.
“There are serious concerns because there are people of Kabuga’s age who could die the same way, as happened with Laurent Bucyibaruta. Others of the same age group are still being prosecuted, including Agathe Kanziga Habyarimana,” he said.
IBUKA says that now that courts in countries such as France have started trying genocide suspects, those cases should be expedited.
Dr. Gakwenzire added that IBUKA and other justice advocacy organizations have started exploring ways for deceased genocide suspects to still be held financially accountable for damages caused.
“There are people who never stood trial, and those cases should continue to be pursued seriously. Whether it is Kabuga or Bucyibaruta, who died in recent years, IBUKA in Rwanda and abroad, together with organizations fighting for justice, have begun efforts to ensure that compensation is paid for the destruction and suffering they caused. The struggle does not end here. It continues so that those who have not yet been tried appear before the law, and even those who died before judgment can still be held liable for reparations,” he said.
