The arrest of Pierre Kayondo, suspected of active participation in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, recently shook the city of Le Havre, in northwestern France. Aged around 70, Kayondo was a former prefect and deputy, who allegedly played a key role in organizing the exterminations in Ruhango and Tambwe, in the Gitarama region.
This arrest follows a complaint filed by the Collective of Civil Parties of Rwanda two years ago. The association, which set itself the mission of finding suspected genocidaires in France, succeeded in locating Kayondo in Le Havre, before collecting several damning testimonies in Rwanda.
According to the testimonies collected, Kayondo formed interahamwe militias, the armed arms of the Hutus during the genocide, by providing them with weapons and organizing meetings. In addition, he would have held responsibilities within Mille Collines radio, famous for its role in inciting the murder of Tutsis.
The hunt for Rwandan genocidaires on French soil has seen several advances, but the legal process has taken time. In fact, only around thirty cases are currently at the investigation stage, while two other cases are close to their conclusion. These include former gendarme Philippe Hategekimana, who appealed his sentence to life imprisonment last June, as well as doctor Sosthène Munyemana, whose trial will begin next November.
The Collective of Civil Parties of Rwanda welcomes the arrest of Kayondo, considered an important cog in the Rwandan genocide. For the association, this arrest confirms the usefulness of their work and their commitment to tracking down those responsible for these atrocious crimes.
This case highlights the importance of the universal jurisdiction of French justice, which makes it possible to judge suspected genocidaires on French soil. However, the civil parties regret the delay taken by justice in this case, emphasizing the need to accelerate the procedures to guarantee justice for the victims of the genocide.
In conclusion, the arrest of Pierre Kayondo following his alleged participation in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda raises hopes of justice for the victims, while highlighting the challenges facing the judicial process. It is important to continue tracking down suspected genocidaires in order to bring justice to the millions of victims of these atrocities.