An investigation by the Guardian Australia and Four Corners has spotted two Rwandan genocide suspects, Froduard Rukeshangabo and Célestin Munyaburanga, who have been reportedly residing in Australia for over a decade.
Both men have been indicted by Rwanda for their involvement in the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi.
Rukeshangabo, working as a driving instructor, is said to have been living in Australia since 2009 when he arrived on a humanitarian visa. He has become an Australian citizen and is well-known in Queensland’s close-knit Rwandan community.
Froduald Rukeshangabo, who has lived in Australia for almost a decade, is suspected of being involved in murderous attacks on local Tutsis in Rwanda’s verdant east. He was found guilty by a Gacaca court in 2007 and was sentenced to 30 years in jail for his role in the attacks. He has disputed the charges, calling them baseless and part of a smear campaign.
Célestin Munyaburanga, during the genocide, allegedly established and manned a roadblock alongside militias when at least 20 Tutsis were massacred using “traditional weapons” like machetes and clubs. He is believed to be in his 60s and was reportedly residing in Canberra according to the Rwandan government’s 2017 indictment.
It’s important to note that both men would be entitled to a new trial in a Rwandan court if they were arrested and extradited.
Ibuka, an umbrella organization of survivors’ associations, has often expressed deep concern in the past, over the persistent lack of justice for survivors three decades later, noting that nations continue to harbor fugitives and cooperate with them, which is deemed disrespectful and insulting to the survivors.
Over 1,000 fugitives continue to freely roam countries in Africa, Europe, and the US.
According to data from the National Public Prosecution Authority, Rwanda has issued 1,095 pending indictments to countries globally. Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo are reported to have sheltered 685 fugitives.
The highest number of charges, totaling 408, were filed against genocide suspects hiding in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, followed by Uganda with 277, Malawi with 63, Tanzania with 52, and Kenya with 35 indictments, also Indictments sent to France total 48, marking the highest in Europe, followed closely by Belgium with 40. The United States received 23 indictments, while the Netherlands received 18, Canada 14, and the United Kingdom 5.
